In The Company of A Vampire
by Ever Lasting Night Life
Summary: Summary: “The night is alive, like rich blood for us to share!” Dark never asked to become a vampire, someone who preys upon humans, yet what happens when he falls in love with one?
1. Chapter 1: Curse!

The nightlife of the city was always a short time. Soon enough the only people that walked the streets were only the people who managed to scramble out of each night club and bar in order for them to make their way home, either on their own or with someone they had picked up from possibly flirting in the bar or night club. The time was 12:00am, the very time where every horror you could imagine came out to play with the life stock that was available for each of them to share in their twisted ways. People who foolishly accepted that they were the only things to worry about at night usually knew these horrors. They were only as thieves, rapists, kidnappers and murderers. What no one seemed to understand though was that these were nothing compared to what stalked the night ever so freely.

The sound of slow walking could be heard, the only sound that now seemed to echo within the dark, abysmal streets of Azumano. No one dared to look up at the stranger, nor did they bother him by the cruel sounds they were each making within their own dark corners, painful moans escaping the lips of each victim. Where the stranger was actually going, no one knew. Screams of help could be heard coming from each victim who dared to look upon his unusually dark features. Ignoring each scream, he made his way into one of the nightclubs, ignoring the annoying racket of the music that seemed to be blasting out of a set of hidden speakers. The club seemed almost dead except for the dancers that were dancing the night away still upon the dance floor.

No one seemed to stick out that much to him, not until he noticed a dark haired girl run out of the club, tears within her eyes. The emotion that he was picking up from her told him that she had just had her heart broken by a man who was foolhardy enough to do so. Pushing at his messy, violet mane with his right hand, he followed the girl out of the club, picking up on the sounds of crying coming from the nearest alleyway. Walking slowly towards the alley, he stopped and looked upon the girl who was crying from afar. She couldn't have been no older than fifteen maybe sixteen years of age. Her break down sent his emotion radar of board, allowing his imagination to pick out what words for him to say if he were to say any.

"Poor child…no one understands your pain as much as I do…" He kept to the shadows like he always did when he was hunting, his voice a resonating pitch of eerie silence. Her crying stifled to a stop, her fear growing. The fear was what made the blood taste sweet and tender, like that of a woman's flesh.

"H-Who's there?" The dialect was a little shaky, her emotions colliding together. Her very own mind seemed to be weird and wonderful to him, like that of a growing child. That was it wasn't it? This woman was still innocent on her own rights, so innocent that she wasn't used to what she was feeling right now.

"Hush dear child, I am not here to hurt you!" Walking out of the darkness that surrounded him, he allowed her to see what he looked like. A mane of pure violet spiralled out in all directions, the colour adding a light-hearted gothic glow to his particularly pale skin tone. His lean frame leaned on the wall right beside her, making her fear grow even more as she looked up into his startlingly beautiful violet eyes. Wiping at her own, she never noticed the dark wings that graced his back, allowing all to see and to stay away from his kill. He loved her ignorance of his most distinguishable appearance, could smell it dripping off of her lovely lavender lips as he kissed her passionately like he always did to his victims before a kill.

The kiss was deeply intoxicating, his tongue wandering around her small cavern before leaving her lips to pay more attention to her neck. Delicate moans reached his particularly sensitive ears, allowing the grin that was waiting to grace his usually emotionless voice before finally sinking his razor sharp fangs into her delicately smooth flesh. She shrieked and tried to push him off but his ungodly strength held her there, completely under his control. Darkness began to surround her vision. She tried shaking it off as hard as she could but it was no good. Her hand moved up on his back. She was terribly weak now, her vision fading fast. As she held onto his back, the pain seemed to greatly increase upon her neck before she finally fell limp within his arms.

Draining someone completely of his or her blood was something that he hated the most but he knew he had to live with it. Leaving her body to rot inside the alleyway was the most ungraceful thing he had ever done but there was nothing he could do. It was the way that he was taught by his master, Krad, the way that he learned to survive. In truth, he never knew his sire. Krad had picked him up wandering the streets of Azumano, not knowing how to survive. He didn't even know what a hunter looked like then. Krad had saved him from a group that cornered him one day when he was wandering the dark alleyways. His thirst was unbelievable. Water tasted like acid and fresh food rotted quickly in his stomach, causing it all to come back up.

He was easily spotted in the darkness, mainly because of his beautifully long, graceful wings that shone a pure violet within the light of the lunar orb. A gang of hunters had cornered him within the very middle of the spiralling alleyways, each clad in dark clothing. Closing his eyes, he eagerly expected death, anything to stop the pain growing inside of him but was immediately startled when he heard crossbow bolts flying throughout the atmosphere, each missing him. Opening his eyes, violet irises gazed upon what truly did look like a fallen angel stained with the blood of the hunters. What an odd site it was to see! This "fallen angel" had saved his life from possible death, yet the pain caused him to cripple over. He wasn't exactly sure what happened next but the sweetest liquid could be tasted upon his lips coming from a wound.

He snapped out of his sudden reminiscing. Others were coming and they were surely going to discover the body within the alleyway. Who knows, maybe it was the fool who had broken that girls precious heart. It was simple for someone like him to take to a rooftop but what did amuse him was when the cries of the fool who broke her heart could be heard throughout the dark streets of Azumano. Closing his eyes once more, he could remember what Krad always used to say about every fool who came across the bodies they left:

"The night is alive, like rich blood for us to share!" That very quotation from the vampire that he left long ago didn't brighten the mood. In fact it made it worse as he heard the boyfriend confess all of what he couldn't say to her when she was alive.

Turning away from the scene, he proceeded to traverse each rooftop. It was only 1:00am and he had until dawn to make use of his nighttime freedom. Yet her beautiful face seemed to haunt him wherever he went, whatever he did. Never before had he realised how much he hated taking lives away unless they were an evildoer. _Maybe I should have taken the life of one of those disgusting excuses for life below,_ he thought, his mind referencing to the murderers and rapists who hid within the dark just like he did. He could still hear her moans of pain, haunting him as if he too became like those who deserved to die. _Who knows? Maybe I do deserve to die, to repay for all the lives I have taken over the years of my existence!_

Human screams reached his sensitive ears. Someone was going to die tonight unless he could do something about it. Racing towards the lake was nothing for him. He didn't care much about revealing himself for what he was now, not even when he grabbed hold of the knife that was held by the killer, popping his arm right out of it's socket. Blood soaked through the crimson sleeves as the killer proceeded to scream out in pain. Holding his neck viciously in place, the razor sharp fangs came down upon the cursed flesh within a pinch, draining him dry. He felt no pity, no guilt for killing off this man who was probably only sick within his mind. It wasn't like a hunter was going to know that it was him anyway.

Blood streamed out of the evil doer's pierced neck. He refused to drink him dry completely. The kill had died of fright right before he could actually taste his crimson essence anyway. Turning towards the victim, his face remained in shadow as she ran away. _Should have done that in the first place, _he thought before the smell of someone familiar seemed to course towards his heightened senses, yet he made no attempts to find out whom it was. The words of Krad drifted back to him. Someone was going to find the body there, he was so sure of it that he didn't quite realise that he was still covered in the killers crimson essence. Those emerging, tainted words were upon him once more, the guilt within his heart gaining control as he collapsed, blood tears streaming from his eyes.

It was nearly 4:00am and he still remained there, a broken being torn between what he was and what he believed in. Ever since he left his master, Krad to fend for his own, he never quite realised what it was like to be alone until tonight. It was loneliness that was ebbing away now at his sanity, making him feel like he was embracing his true fate as a creature of the night. Dawn was only within an hour and he knew that he had to make it back to the safety of the apartment that he had remained shacked up in for a while, yet he didn't want to move. _Maybe, if I let the sun rise, all this will go away? _He shook off that thought, rising slowly as he wiped at his blood stained cheeks. Ambling away from the scene, he stretched out his pure violet wings before taking off, the smell of dawn rising dangerously.

An annoying sound seemed to fill the room, causing the person who was lying upon the small, single bed to groan as a set of dark irises opened up groggily. Today was Saturday, the only day that Riku Harada was allowed to sleep in if she wanted. Last night had been pretty hectic, especially with the sudden news of Ritsuko's death. She wasn't as close to the girl as her twin sister, Risa was but it was still pretty shocking to hear what had actually happened to her. She had been found in an alleyway alongside Takeshi who, for a change, was sobbing when the police reached the crime scene. This was the only strange part of her death. All of her blood had been drained, but the only mark upon her body was two tiny holes, not even visible to the naked eye.

The cries of her sister could be heard as she made her way into the bathroom. _Had Risa stayed up all night crying? _Whenever Riku went to see to her sister, Risa told her to stay away from her, that she would never know how she felt. Risa wouldn't know how she felt anyway, especially since Riku was the one who watched her mother lying on her deathbed alongside her father who died shortly there after. Riku was the one who brought Risa up after her parents died. Since Riku was only five minutes older than Risa, her believed that she was going to understand, that not all was wonderful in this world. Death was to be expected after all and Risa had caught the same illness that had killed off their mother and father. Riku had caught the illness once but she was brought to hospital before anything happened to her. Risa had visited the hospital but she had demanded to stay home. Staying home right now wasn't the safest thing to do but Riku didn't argue. What Risa had said simply brought tears to her eyes.

"If I am going to die, I don't want it to be in a hospital bed. I want to be with my sister, Riku!" Riku had eavesdropped in on the conversation between Risa and the doctors who were already up to their ankles trying to sort everything out for her very stubborn twin. Opening Riku's door slightly, she wiped a little at her face, making sure that it still wasn't wet from the splash of water that was used to wake her up. Risa looked peacefully asleep, yet something was wrong. Very wrong in fact!

"Risa?" She said simply as she walked over to her sisters bedside. Her face had been stained terribly with tears; her once pretty features now looking deathly still. "RISA?" She almost shouted. She hoped that this wasn't what she thought it was right now. Checking her pulse, she took note of how cold her sister's body seemed to be yet she still tried to look. When she couldn't pick one up, she collapsed beside her sister's bedside, crying her hardest. This very day was going to be expected but Riku wished that it wasn't true, that they could still have a day together. First the death of Ritsuko last night and now this. It was all becoming too much for her to handle, so much that in fact she didn't her the phone go until her grandmothers voice came on the line. The old lady was obviously calling to say that she was coming over to check to see if Risa was okay.

Picking up the receiver, she dialled her grandmothers phone number, trying her best not to sound like she was crying as she told the old lady everything. Her grandmother's end went silent for a moment before telling Riku that she was coming straight over. Dropping the receiver noisily back onto the phone itself, she dropped to the floor, her hair tangling itself around her swollen face as the tears forced themselves to break free from the death grip she had on them. It hurt to cry, to feel weak at a moment like this. Today, her and Risa were going to go shopping, to allow her sister to have some fun before the inevitable time approached but now, she knew that she was too late. She didn't know how long she was there for. A sudden trance had taken her over now. She didn't even know who it was that had picked her up and placed her in her grandmother's car.

It was Thursday now and the funeral of her twin went well, even if everyone was on the verge of tears. She had no need to cry now, her tear ducts already dried up from crying so much. Her eyes were still red-rimmed and even if she was staying with her grandmother for the time being, she still felt like she had been left alone. Everyone from school was here, paying their respects to Risa. Before they set off to the funeral, Riku had phoned up the school and asked if Risa's class mates could come and pay their respects. It appeared that Risa had more friends than she ever knew about, even when her sister used to tell her everything of her day in school. They used to have their arguments about school and the boys there sometimes as well.

A couple of weeks had passed since the funeral and now Riku was eighteen years of age except she had no party on this day like some of the people in college had told her too. She couldn't bear to celebrate this day without her twin sister beside her. Ever since she had left school at the age of seventeen, she had most certainly grown taller. In fact she was almost as tall as her best friend Daisuke who was once in love with Risa. Today was no longer a birthday to her anymore. It was just a day now, just like every other day of the week. Picking up her bag, she stuffed her purse and her keys in quickly before heading off out into the night. She didn't care about the dangers of going out at night, she could hold her own now anyway.

Rubbing at his groggy eyes, he sat up in bed, not caring that he was half naked. This apartment was a basement one that he had discovered while trying to find a proper place to stay away from the suns rays. There were no windows in here. The whole room was completely underground. The only source of sound that usually kept him company was the hard rock music that blasted out of the window. He may have been a vampire, a creature of the night but he was still allowed to indulge in anything that was human. Pulling himself out of bed, he wandered into the bathroom, switching on the shower as he did so. The cool water hit him quickly, its healing properties wishing out all the sins of his soul. Last nights events had been forgotten, the screams of the girl as she was being slowly drained becoming nothing now except martyrs.

"My mind is in fragments…my memories…martyrs…" It was a quotation he had picked out of a poem he had read once, one that seemed to remind him of each kill he had made over the years. He didn't exactly know why he held onto it though. He felt his wings shiver as each drop of water spread quickly through out each feather until it finally dropping off in the pattern of a small waterfall hitting the base of the floor with a thundering splash. Turning off the water, he stepped out, wrapping a clean towel around his lower half whilst allowing his hair to dry naturally. There was no mirror in this bathroom for him to look into, not that he would ever need one anyway. It was the only thing that made vampires stick out from humans – they couldn't age!

Quickly slipping on clothes that had been wash only a day before, he slipped out of the apartment, locking the door behind him as he did so. As he reached the stairs to the lobby, time itself seemed to stop as noticed a dark haired beauty walk past him. Unlike so many girls before though, this one certainly made him feel quite nervous. _Where is she going? _He thought before following her out into the night. The girl seemed to have no aim to where she was going. What was worse though was the fact that she was heading towards the dangerous side of the city of Azumano, the very side where he was hunting last night.

Every time she turned around to see who was following her, he hid in the shadows, pulling his wings in even tighter than what they were already. An emotion form this woman seemed to stick out to him painfully: grief! She had just lost someone close to her! That was also her reason for going out into the night but it wasn't a good enough reason to him in all reality. And then a thought seemed to cross his mind. _I wonder if I could turn her? _It was a long shot he knew and there was also the possibility that she would end up taking the burden the wrong way. He also didn't know her that well and he guessed the only way to turn her was to get to know her a little bit. That was when the trouble had finally started.

Her screams filled the air before she was pushed to the ground by a particularly grubby looking male, one who looked a little like the evil doer he had killed a couple of weeks ago. His vile kiss seemed to make her struggle more, yet that was what they always liked wasn't it? To see them struggle. It was just the same with rogue vampires and their victims. It was always a disgusting sport to them all.

In one second and one second only, it seemed that her attacker had been thrown off of her. Looking up, she saw a faint glimmer of violet as it seemed that however this was, was proceeding to chase the attacker into one of the many alley's within this area.

"Risa…I'm sorry for everything!" The sounds of a struggle followed by a sickening thud alerted her, yet she refused to look up.

"It's okay miss, he's gone now!" A smooth, sultry voice said. Looking up, she immediately looked into the strangers beautiful face, its expression looked like it was carved by angels. What was even more alluring about this stranger though was his mysteriously hypnotizing violet eyes. Never before had she actually seen someone look so beautiful in all of her life. He couldn't be human. "Are you okay now, miss?"

"The names Riku and yes I am fine thank you." Just as the stranger was about to turn away however, she stopped him by asking one single question that seemed to change everything? "What's your name, sir?"

"It's Dark…"


	2. Chapter 2: Kiss!

Chapter 2: Kiss! 

Dark irises woke to see the sun shining through the curtains. She didn't know how she got here, nor did she know how a bandage that only showed a small sign of blood had covered a side of her neck. It was clear evidence to her that she had been attacked somehow but for some reason, she couldn't seem to remember what actually happened and who attacked her. Pulling at the bandage slightly, she lifted the padded plasters off of her neck before examining her wound. At first, she couldn't see anything. Pulling the mirror slightly closer to the wound, she nearly screamed as she realised what it was. _Just the same as Ritsuko! _She though, nearly hitting the mirror over as she started to panic. What were worse were tonight a dance was going to take place and not just any dance either, a Ball Room dance!  
Riku insisted to her grandmother that she didn't want to go but the old lady thought that she needed to take her mind off of her current situation. Her grandmother had also picked out the dress. The dress itself was completely black except for the red frills at the end of her sleeves and hem. They were a crimson colour, Riku's favourite as a matter of fact. She didn't know why the old lady was forcing her to go though. Riku wondered if she should have told her grandmother about her neck wound but just as she picked up the receiver, she placed it back down, knowing that what she would say would sound far too crazy to be believed anyway. It was nearly three 0'clock. It still wasn't time for the dance. The time dragged on slowly, making Riku begin to feel nervous.

_What if the dress looks horrible on me? What would I look like to everyone then? _A horrible image followed her thoughts, making her feel like she wanted to go and throw up somewhere but luckily enough, she didn't. The dance didn't start till eight, yet her grandmother was going to make sure that she was there by seven to help everyone with the preparations. She hated dancing, yet when she started she wasn't so bad at it. Pressing the dress up towards her bosom, she proceeded to twist and turn on the spot, knowing that no one was there. No one saw her and yet that was when she truly danced, giving out each rhythm that her heart made along with her mind and soul. If know one was going to watch her tonight, she would dance like this if she found a suitable partner to do so.

And then memories of what happened last night began to hit her, causing her to hold her head slightly as she did so, yet when she did, a voice erupted from her thoughts, so unlike her very own.

"Riku…I am sorry. I had to establish this connection with you! I know it hurts but this is probably the most discreet way I can contact you."

"Dark!" She knew that voice, remembered how beautiful his name sounded as he spoke each syllable clearly, and those eyes, those beautiful eyes. Then more came at her, showing her just how she had that wound upon her neck.

_Dark did this? _She thought as she allowed her fingers to trace the tiny holes subconsciously. She shook that thought away. After all, it wasn't like Dark was a vampire or anything. Checking her watch, she realised that the time was four 0'clock. Taking off her dirty clothing from last night, she ran a shower, hoping that the waters healing properties would give answers to her confusion, but it did not. This was a complete mystery to her, with Dark as the true enigma of the tale. What did trouble her was that she didn't know where he had come from, nor did she hear anyone approach when she was being attacked. Water ran down her back, each droplet escaping from her dark mane. Tonight was probably going to be like last time, she would end up dancing with Daisuke again.

Running shampoo through her hair, she waited as the water soaked it all off before turning off the shower and drying herself. Looking in the mirror, she saw someone just as confused as she was look back at her, yet this person also had a smile gracing her pretty features. Riku wondered where that girl had gone. It seemed that she had died along with her sister, Risa yet somewhere inside she still felt her warmth melting the frozen parts of Riku's mind. Drying her hair off with the hairdryer, Riku began to relax a little as she fitted the dress around her, feeling extremely odd in wearing something like this. Her cleavage was revealed greatly by the short collar. She felt like she wanted to take it off but a voice in her mind told her not to, that she was as pretty as a picture.

She became so exhilarated in the dress that she almost forgot to pin her hair up. Grabbing some clips, she managed to pin it up into a tidy bun on top of her head before rushing into the front room to find her shoes. Pretty looking faeries danced around her toes just like natives to the nature around them. She looked different, so unlike the boyish look she took on after the death of her parents. For one night only, she was going to be a proper woman, stunning all simply with the dress she wore. The clock suddenly changed to seven 0'clock and just as soon as it did, a knock on the door simply told her that it was time to dance the night away hopefully with someone who actually wants to dance with or just mope around next to a group of friends who will most likely be all over each other.

The dance wasn't going to start for another hour or so, yet it was already pitch black outside. People were skittering around quickly, adding affects to the banners and deciding what music was going to be played out by the band. When it was all finally settled, Riku took a seat next to a group of boys who were pointing and laughing at her. She knew these boys, hated them for what they were yet she said nothing to them, just ignoring them completely. The music started up and guests began to pour in from the front entrance yet she didn't stand up to find a suitable partner. She felt far too miserable to do so. The dance went on even at 11:00pm, although all she really did all night was go up to get a drink. Then she felt it for the first time.

The feeling could only be simply described as someone watching her from afar, like a guardian angel seeking to help her out along the way of her lifeline before she finally succumbed to the release known only as death itself. Taking a look at the crowd surrounding her, she spotted nothing completely out of the ordinary. Mingling within the line for the punch, she gazed up at the balcony and froze, her heartbeat beginning to thunder within her fragile chest cavity. Her lips curled nervously as she looked up at the mysterious stranger who had obviously been there for quite some time. His lips curled back in a similar manner to hers, revealing a set of perfectly solid fangs that seemed to be longer than the rest of his teeth.

Her hand lifted subconsciously to her neck, revealing pale flesh that seemed possibly enticing.

"Miss…are you okay?" a gentle yet somewhat bored voice asked, before she realised that she had been wrapped up in a trance.

"I'm fine…thank you…" She said as she took a look up at the balcony, realising that Dark had disappeared. She felt scared now, a possible terror that she had never felt before, yet she never realised that a set of eyes were upon her again, the exact same eyes that had drawn her attention to the balcony in the first place. Finally managing to grab some punch, she sat down, feeling a sense of loneliness that seemed to replace her terror as she watched everyone else dance.

Then only she could hear the sound of a low beating noise. Looking up from her position, dark irises met violet, as time seemed to stop. Terror gripped at her heart yet she felt no need to run away. Before she realised what she was doing however, her feet began to move for her without her permission. She was drawing slowly, almost in a daze towards the man who held out a gloved hand to her, equally matching his completely dark, mildly gothic attire of a black cloak that seemed to hide something from the world, something that made him look unique compared to everyone else around them both. She didn't quite know what it was, but she had a few ideas flow into her mind as she remembered his perfectly smooth lips curling back to reveal a pair of pure white fangs.

The dance was exhilarating, each of them seeming to be swept off their feet as the music continued on, even when it finally began to slow down a bit. The terror-stricken girl that he had seen queuing up for punch no longer seemed to exist as they each before looked deeply into each others eyes, not quite realising that they were now the only ones there. Each seemed last in the music itself, a sense of euphoria clouding both of their visions. This was how he had wanted it. To not be alone anymore. Last night seemed like a nightmare to him now, especially since the taste of her sweet blood seemed to linger upon the tip of his tongue. He had to taste her though, to make sure that the blood wasn't bad and also to establish a mind connection with her.

Not one of them realised what time it was, nor did they really care. This was a night for them only, one that wasn't going to be destroyed by any simple means. The music ended but they didn't stop, not until Riku finally began to feel worn out by the exhilarating dance.

"Wow…" Was all she could really say as they stopped, curling into each other's arms as they did so? Dark said nothing, just simply wrapped his fingers around thin strands of her hair, kissing her forehead lightly as he did so. This was the closest he had been to a human woman for at least over a hundred years or so.

Her head rose up slightly, just as he had left the attention of her forehead and turned away from her. "Dark?" Her voice seemed shaky, as if she thought something was wrong. It felt strange for him to feel this way, even though he had been seducing women for a long time now, dragging them to their deaths from the power of his charms. Was he going to do the same to her? He couldn't bear to face her with that thought.

"Riku…I'm sorry!" He said as he walked away from her. This was wrong, completely wrong. Vampires were never meant to fall in love with humans, yet he seemed to be completely against the idea of turning her into something that was never meant to be.

"Dark wait! Please!" That stopped him. It was something in her voice that caused him to turn around to her and place a deeply intoxicating kiss upon her sweet tasting lips.

The kiss itself felt like nothing she had ever felt before. It was both dangerous and yet full of pure ecstasy, causing each of them to moan slightly into the kiss as she felt his tongue explore her small cavern. She realised then that for a vampire, Dark was an extremely good kisser. Not wanting to let go of this moment in time, she felt her own hand trail up to the back of his head, messaging it slightly as she shivered with pleasure from his delicate touch as his hands trailed along her waistline, reaching lower until he finally broke off the kiss. His violet irises seemed hazy as if he wasn't quite sure that he wanted to do that. Placing another delicate kiss upon her lips, he left her to wait within the safety of the Ball Room as she waited for a grandmother to come and pick her up, all the while watching as Dark raced off into the night, becoming a complete enigma to her once more.

The continuous chatter of her grandmother as the small car raced through the streets of Azumano was blanked out of her mind completely. All she could think about was the kiss that they each shared before he departed, obviously trying to get back before dawn. She knew what he was, could easily tell by his extremely long fangs and pale skin that he was in fact a vampire. Yet he was so much unlike the monstrous tales she would often read about vampires who stalked the night. It was as if he had a soul, unlike any vampire who took the pleasure in killing their feast.


	3. Chapter 3: All Hallows Eve!

Chapter 3: All Hallows Eve 

The light of the sun shone onto the land, bathing Azumano into a pale form of magenta. Never before had the pace been so beautiful, yet everyone who did their homework knew of the darker side to this place, that it was also a home to vampires who often preyed upon the weak. Riku had been reading all night, unable to sleep from the thoughts of the kiss. That was the first time she had been kissed properly on the lips like that. Finally placing the book upon her bedside cabinet, she lead down, not quite tired yet feeling really weak from the night before. The feeling of his cool lips upon hers had stuck in her mind and every now and again she would place to fingers up upon the smooth surface of her own, the tips delicately tracing each line and shape.

"It…happened…my feelings have become muddled up though…" She frowned slightly, her still pretty features turning to that of a statue before resuming to its normal state. Pushing herself up into a sitting position, she rubbed her eyes, each orb stinging slightly. Today her only goal was to have a nap to make sure that her sleeping pattern was okay before continuing on with everything else that she had to do.

_Better get to sleep my love…_Her head shot around, feeling extremely nervous. She wanted to know where that voice was coming from. Since she was so groggy from no sleep however, she couldn't really recognise whose voice it was until she heard it again, this time somewhat deeper and cold, just like a vampires. _Riku…go to sleep…your going to need it…_

"Dark?" She asked no one in particular, just the voice coming from her thoughts. It was a lot like when she remembered what happened a few nights ago accept it wasn't painful at all. She didn't care what it was saying to her however, she couldn't sleep at all. Besides, there wasn't much point for her to sleep since the phone seemed to keep ringing non-stop.

"Riku, I am just ringing to see how last night went. Oh and also don't forget to bring all those dirty clothes that you keep in that worn washing basket of yours over." _I don't need to bring that over, I can do that myself! _She thought as she crawled somewhat out of bed, tripping a little before waking up properly as she nearly collided with the bedside cabinet that the book _Interview With The Vampire _by the famous author Anne Rice lingered along with many other books such as _Bram Stoker's Dracula _and _The Queen of the Damned _also by Anne Rice. It appeared that myth often differed due to the imagination of each storyteller, the vampires themselves moving from elegant creatures of the night who hated preying upon humans to the monsters that they were always known as throughout the ages it seemed.

What these books didn't seem to cover though was partially true facts like the possibility of driving a wooden stake through a vampires heart and cutting off their heads while stuffing the mouth with garlic. It seemed to Riku that everything else had to be set aside. It was time to hit the library whether anyone protested against her or not. The city seemed silent yet she knew that this was only because it was the early hours of the day. People would possibly think that she was just a crazy girl wandering the streets but she didn't care. The life of the very city seemed at peace for now. Leaves brushed past her small, perfectly shaped face. It was autumn out and yet it honestly felt like the bitter chill of winter. Tonight was All Hallows Eve – the night where you scare people to death and basically have fun doing so.

However, unlike all of her friends who were planning out their parties, she had nothing to look forward to now. The only thing that was going to be important to her was what she was currently doing, going to a library to do a bit of research on vampires. If Dark was here, she could try and do a Q/A on him but that would probably never work. Shaking off the idea, she proceeded up the large stone steps towards the library. What seemed to amaze tourists about this place was the fact that it was also an art house, holding pieces of art that told stories about different places in different times. The only picture the seemed to catch her eye was the painting of a lone man with violet hair and violet eyes sitting upon the edge of a balcony that seemed to be decorated in a lavish flow of gold and silver.

Observing the painting closely, she couldn't help but take in the pure clean imagery of the feathered wings that sprouted from the mans back, waiting impatiently to take off. In fact, the picture seemed familiar to her somehow but she couldn't seem to grasp her mind around where she had actually seen it before. Pacing on through into the library, she headed immediately to the historical references section, knowing what books she needed to take a proper look at. Once before she had picked up a book with the title of "Vampyr: Myth or Legend" upon the front of the hardcover. The only reason she had then when picking it up was to try and cheer up Risa who was crying over the time they both had left together.

Now that she had come to think about it, weren't there also marks upon the side of Risa's neck?_ No, that's not possible, she was with me at the time, _and she simply shrugged off the silly thought. She was tired and her eyes seemed to be playing tricks on her.

_I told you didn't I? _

"_What? Dark?" _

_Yes…Dark…  
"But how…?" _No answer was given to her. That must have meant that he didn't have that much energy when he was asleep, recharging and hiding from the rays of the sun. In whatever piece of fiction she had read that night, the books seemed to make it clearly obvious that vampires were most definitely weaker when the sun was up than what they were at night

Rummaging through the stocks of the shelf, she managed to pick up each book that she had found on the subject of "Creatures of the night". It appeared that in each book, vampires were the most popular subject to talk about.

_Vampires,_

_These creatures are often believed to be a myth but recent death reports show that maybe the undead are just as real as we often imagine when reading through each piece of fiction upon the most popular creatures to stalk mankind…_

There was a lot for her to read over but it seemed that each piece of information was vaguely the same except told in different ways.

_Writers just trying to capture the imagination with their pathetic drabble…we can't be killed by a wooden stake, nor could a cross burn us. Riku, don't believe it…_

"_Look…I can't help it if I want to find out more about what I was dancing with last night!" _a low chuckle erupted from the back of her mind. This was beginning to make her feel a little nervous at the vampire's behaviour. She knew that just because he was a charmer and an extremely good kisser didn't hide what he really was.

True that, but what I feel has nothing to do with being a vampire. You know that, don't you? She said nothing to that, shaking her head slightly as if nodding her head to the music she could only hear. Putting each book back into place, she picked up her coat and wrapped it around her shivering frame once more. A particularly frightening thought crept up into her mind. She knew that Dark could kill her if he wanted, whenever he wanted. A low sigh could be heard along with the image of Dark not letting go of what he was actually doing to her. Look, Riku get a grip! Why would I want to kill you? I love you for Christ sake! She froze as she heard those words. He loved her? 

Running out of the library, she took a particularly note of the sky. It seemed that it was beginning to get darker. Little children ran about the streets wildly with their parents watching over them. It was only then when she realised that she had nothing to give to them as they each said "Trick or Treat" at each and every door on this very street. The only door they didn't touch was the ones that lead up into the library. Looking at her watch closely, she realised that the time was at least 5:00pm. Time itself had gone back one hour, ready for winter to make haste across the city itself, landing everything in a bitter sense of coldness. A yawn in the back of her mind told her that he was waking up. That meant she had to get back to her apartment quickly. She didn't want to get caught by any other vampires that lingered on the streets of Azumano.

Her legs pelted up the street towards her apartment quickly, her arms pumping slightly as they helped her legs along. She hadn't sprinted like this for a long time, yet she wasn't even out of breath when she did actually reach the lobby. Running towards the staircase up to the second floor, she stopped as she reached the door of her apartment. _I wonder where Dark lives?_

_Try right underneath where you are standing! _He replied back. A frown spread across her face, making her look slightly prettier than usual. This whole mind connection business was starting to get on her nerves a little bit but she knew she could live with it. After all, it wasn't like the voice was actually a figment of her imagination. If it was, she knew that she would be waking up from a dream right now, strapped down by doctors onto a white bed, all the while struggling to break free.

Fumbling with the keys in her pocket, she managed to pull out a small set with a key ring of her name spelt out in the ancient art of Calligraphy. Risa had one on that day as well, but for some reason, she never really bothered to attach it to the set of keys Riku had cut for her from her own with the help of her grandfather. Placing her coat up onto a coat hanger beside the door, she collapsed onto the sofa inside the front room. Grabbing the remote, she flicked on the TV, trying to find something suitable for her to watch for now but just as per usual, there was nothing that interesting. She had a punch bag in the next room over, the very room that Risa always used to complain about when Riku was punching out her frustration on the punch bag.

If you asked one of her neighbours or even her grandmother, they would say that Riku was just a sweet innocent girl. What they didn't know was that even though Riku was too stunned to act when that loser from a few nights ago attacked her, she could fight her own battles if she wanted too. Picking up the boxing gloves, she took off into the next room a little bit like a bat out of hell. She was extremely eager to use her frustration to tone up her muscles a little bit. Releasing a left hook out onto the punching bag, she cried with each hit yet it wasn't a cry of pain – no, far from it! Occasionally, she would release a right-handed roundhouse kick onto the bag, causing it to swing with such a ferocious pelt of each power-filled kick.

That continued on until a pair of spindly looking hands finally stopped it from swinging itself straight into her chest. Looking up at the person who stopped the bag from swinging, once again dark met violet as she stood up, never taking her eyes off of his beautiful irises. Meeting him in person was extremely different than having a weird conversation inside each other's head. The odd thing was that as soon as they saw each other however, it wasn't long until they were both embracing each other into a soft kiss and a warm hug. "I missed you!" Didn't even cover what they were both feeling now. Letting each other go, a delicate, spindly finger seemed to trace patterns upon the punch bag.

"I never knew you could fight!" He didn't sound as cold as he usually did when he talked to her. A devilish grin spread upon her face, her prettiness remaining the same as always. "I would challenge you but I'm afraid of damaging that beautiful face!"

He was flirting with her now, feeling even more comfortable with her than what he was when they first met and danced with each other. Her grin seemed to grow even more. It appeared that she wasn't used to flirting because a blush slowly formed alongside the grin. That was what seemed to attract him to her really. She was so innocent and yet enticingly beautiful all at the same time. Cupping her chin gently with his fingers, he kiss her gently once more upon the lips.

"So…want to challenge me, eh?" She said as she placed another upon his cool lips. A mischievous grin formed on his lips, revealing a fang as he did so. They were each pulled away from each other as they heard the door go. None of them bothered to get it though, they both knew what it was that was waiting at the door. The room was big enough for them both to spar against each other, yet he knew that he would have to hold back quite a bit. Even though this woman could defend herself well, she wasn't as strong as he was. As soon as he got into a good stance however, he was completely taken by surprise as he watched her fall to the floor, screaming slightly as she held her head in her hands…

"RIKU!!!"


	4. Chapter 4: Pains!

**Chapter 4: Pains!**

A sigh escaped from his lips as he placed her on the bed. She had passed out a while go. Only once did she seem to stir; yet the threads of a somewhat peaceful rest quickly replaced that. His stomach growled. If he did not eat something, he was going to be far too weak to escape the deadly rays of the sun and he didn't plan to stay held up within a very uncomfortable closet all day, even if that closet was Riku's. Placing a kiss upon her forehead, he left through the window, knowing that he couldn't be spotted by any of her neighbours. Landing like a sprung cat upon the ground, he looked up at the window, wishing silent good byes before wandering off further into Azumano. The night was still young, barely only twelve 0'clock. He would return to her when he had fed hopefully off something young and beautiful.

_Just like her…_He thought as he remembered testing out her blood and realizing that the salty liquid actually tasted a lot like strawberries. His nature seemed to hunger for more blood but his heart and his mind took control as he almost drained her dry. It wasn't long until he found a bar, one that seemed to be having problems with a couple of drunks fighting it out with each other. Placing an arm on the door of the pub itself and watched as two guys proceeded to hit each other with everything they had. No one was trying to stop them, yet as soon as they both seemed to lay eyes on him, the mood changed.

"What are you looking at loser?" He had to grin at this, he just had too. If he was a loser to them, then what were they? "Yo, I said…"

"I know what you said and I am no loser…" _I am the legendary vampire Dark, _he thought, trying not to laugh at how ridiculous this all was. Humans were always a true enigma to him. The one took a swing at him but he easily dodged it, marvelling the crowds slightly with his superb agility as he managed to grab hold of the one and throw him into the street where no one would disturb him, not even the other guy who his new kill was fighting with. This was just going to be a possibly high trip for him now anyway. This man was going down for becoming an evildoer by starting the fight.

The man stumbled slightly as he tried to get back up and throw a punch at Dark but he easily dodged that one too. Grabbing hold of the man by his neck, he made sure no one was following them before jumping up to the roof. He didn't need his wings that were hidden under a dark trench coat to pull this little trick off. The man screamed, his blood beginning to pound furiously underneath his tight flesh. Yanking his neck into a rough position, he heard it crack before sinking his fangs in. He didn't know what had actually come over him just then, he guessed that it was something that came back to haunt him once more. Blood rushed quickly into his system, turning his perfect violet irises from the beautiful colour they once were to the crimson of the blood nourishing his strength.

Dropping the body onto the ground below, he made it look like the guy had taken the plunge towards the ground before running off back to Riku.

_What…what just happened? I felt like I was another being…of some sort…_He knew that some vampire spirits could wander around, possessing others for a time being to enjoy the rush of blood before finally proceeding to rest once more. However that was extremely rare and it only seemed to happen if something bad had happened. Sometimes the ghost would even take the blood with him/her but he felt no warning, no violent tremors. No, it was all his doing. He felt blood stain his cheeks. He hated it when he looked weak. He that he looked pretty pathetic to the vampires who were used to seeing immortal beings cry tears of blood. Humans however acted differently when tears started to pour forth from his eyes. Some screamed insanely, others ran away from him. This was what made him feel like a monster in the first place.

Climbing up a drainpipe was far too easy. His god-like strength allowed him to hold on for ages to the pipe that was stuck securely to a wall. Placing a boot on the wall, he wrapped his arms around the pipe, his left arm on the bottom, whilst his right hand reached further up the pipe. Placing his other boot up further, he manoeuvred his spindly arms as he climbed effortlessly. Even though he hated being a vampire, he didn't mind having a little fun with his strength once in a while. It wasn't that long before he reached a ledge that he could just about swing his legs onto. Pressing himself against the wall of the building, he managed to shift off to the side until he could go no further. Looking up, a wicked grin formed across his face as he jumped up towards the window he was trying to reach. Sometimes it didn't hurt to be agile at all.

_A face looked back at her, so much like her very own yet it was whispering something she couldn't seem to grasp. Trying to press an ear against the glass, she nearly screamed as the face began to bleed slowly, ever so slowly until it was nothing more but a bloody wraith-like creature. And then the sound of dripping could be heard, followed by the smell of blood. Looking down at herself, she noticed blood running from slits she never remembered creating before collapsing on the floor, shouting one name as she did so. _

"DARK!!!"

She woke up straight into the arms of something cold. Her grogginess dissipating from her vision, she looked up into the eyes of dark, noticing flecks of crimson within his beautiful irises. That was definitely an unusual site to see.

Cold hands defiled her dark hair while soothing words whispered into her left ear. Nestling her head against his chest, she couldn't help but notice a slight hint of colour in his pale arms. He looked almost human yet his face was still too beautiful for that to be true. Delicate fingers stopped defiling her locks that were cut short to stop her from looking so much like her sister. However, they were quickly placed under her chin, cupping it as a gentle kiss was placed on her needing lips. She didn't what it was but his lips seemed to send her into a natural high, as if they were the equivalent to the drugs that were going around these days. Placing a hand upon the small of his back, she felt it rise as she began to moan into the deepening kiss.

She felt him smirk slightly, before the kiss began to become for more erotically filled. Moving away from her lips, she felt his delicate kisses moving down to her neck, her moaning increasing as each kiss was placed upon flesh. She felt his fangs grace lightly against her flesh, before he pulled away from her, hiding his face from her.

"Don't look at me…please! Stay away!" Pain emitted from his tone of voice. Placing two fingers upon her neck where she felt his fangs glide against her skin, she pulled them back only to see a crimson fluid covering them. He had tried to bite her!

"Dark…" She placed a hand under his chin just like he always did to her, lifting his head slightly as she noticed tears of blood pour forth from his beautiful irises. Placing a passionate kiss upon his lips, she dabbed slightly at his bleeding eyes. It seemed that this was the only fact in fiction that was actually true. She tensed a little as she noticed him begin to bring his head a little more towards her neck and shivered as she felt something sliver a little across the cut. A low chuckle reached her ears before she hit him playfully in the chest, sending him to the floor before following suit as he grabbed hold of her and landed right beside him. They both laughed together, each forgetting what had just happened between them as his delicate fingers traced along her revealed stomach.

_Great…now he sees how ugly I actually am! _She thought before feeling those delicate fingers begin to rise slowly to her chest, tracing a circle around her covered bosom.

"I don't think your ugly at all…" She heard him say before they embraced each other once more. Then she felt Dark tense a little. Looking over at the time, she realised that it was five 0'clock in the morning. He had to get back to the safety of his current abode before the sun rose up.

Walking away from the apartment, he couldn't help but think about what actually happened between them both in there. Never before had he been involved with someone Riku and yet he nearly hurt her because of it. Luckily enough his spit could heal a wound, turning it into nothing more but a scar. The faces of each victim may have been forgotten but the expression on Riku's face as she forgave him for what he did never left his thoughts. Suddenly, he felt his senses spin as if another vampire was close. Turning around, he thought he spotted a glimmer of gold before he realised that it was only Satoshi. _What the hell does he want with me now?_

_Well that's a nice way to greet an old friend…  
What do you want Satoshi?_

_Just to warn you that something is coming for you and your girlfriend…_And with that message, the blue haired vampire disappeared, leaving Dark to ponder over what he had actually said.

**Authors note: Sorry this one is a little shorter than the others...no sleep does that I guess. Anyway I'll be introducing the villain soon...but I'm not saying who he is yet...Do not flame me for this!!!**


	5. Chapter 5: Golden Feather!

The shrill darkness of the apartment seemed slightly more threatening than what it was when he left. Satoshi had warned him that something was coming; something that seemed like it was going to be quite a powerful opposition. Flicking on the lights, he stopped, a sudden chill creeping up his back. _Thieves? _He thought as he noticed how pretty much ransacked his place was. Then his perfectly clear violet irises fell upon something that seemed a little out of the ordinary, something that told him that it wasn't no normal thief who did this. _Master? _He thought as a delicate fingertip traced over the white feather within his hands. Placing the feather in his pocket, he proceeded to clean up the place, to see if he could work out what had been taken.

I told you something was coming Dark!  
Satoshi, I have to ask! How did you actually get here? You don't even live here!  
I flew like any other vampire would accept you! I watched you climbing the side of the building earlier.

_I can't help it, I'm just different! What doe's he want? Do you know?  
Yes…  
Well, what is it?  
He wants what you treasure the most! Your precious Riku then! I suggest you go and check on her!  
Hey, what about the sun?  
I'll take care of that!_

And with that, Satoshi disengaged the conversation at his end, leaving Dark to push open the door of his apartment and run to the second floor. Ringing the doorbell at least three times, he heard a low groan on the other side before the sound of Riku mumbling to her sleepily reached his ears. _Riku, get up! _A low grumble of something he couldn't quite understand reached his ears as she unlatched the lock before opening the door quite aggressively.

"What is it?" The anger seemed strained as she addressed him. He couldn't blame her for this. After all, he did wake her up at a ridiculous time. Leaving the door open for him to come through, he managed to push his way in hurriedly before closing and locking the door once more. Looking into each room, he made sure that everything was all clear before turning back to Riku who wore a confused expression on her face.

_Okay, Riku we need to keep speaking to each other like this. You're in danger if you stay here!_

_In danger from what? What is going on?  
I'll explain along the way! Right now I have to stay out of the sun!  
Does that mean…?  
Yep, my place it is!_

Packing a bag full of clothes and other stuff she knew she was going to need, she followed Dark out of the doorway, locking it up before the headed down the stairs all the way to the basement. She could hear a hiss escape from Dark's lips as tiny rays of the sun could be seen coming through the windows of the lobby. Where the rays hit the vampire, they seemed to leave light red marks. A cringe of pain crossed his perfect face, distorting it slightly before it returned to normal. It must have only stung him slightly, after all it wasn't exactly like he was standing outside, turning into ash. He turned towards her, a grin forming quite clearly as she tried to shake off the thought before he couldn't detect it. This blood link was starting to get on her nerves.

The stairs seemed to go on forever, as if they were to become one of those many who became lost within the Bermuda Triangle. When they did finally reach the basement, she gaped at the sight, amazed to find only one room down here that was accessible and big enough for at least five people. It seemed that Dark didn't need any keys to get in to her, instead her stuck one of his long nails into the lock, prying it loose carefully. She pretty much guessed that was how he had brought her back to her apartment twice in a row. She simply watched, her mouth still agape as the door swung open inwardly. The place itself was a mess, but it did look like he had been broken into which was particularly strange because he didn't seem to have much except for two bedrooms each with a bathroom, a kitchen and a living room.

The interior seemed to be designed exactly the same way as hers was, but it was a lot bigger and it had no windows. This was definitely a perfect place for a vampire. A stereo player and a TV set were stuck with separate corners of the room, each CD and DVD placed neatly in the stands beside each. It seemed the vampire was good at keeping everything in order, some much that the mess itself began to look more like someone had actually broke into the apartment. _Was this place…broken into?_

_Yeah it was…by my master…well he isn't my master, just someone who took me in! He never sired me!  
Who is he?  
His name is Krad – my name backwards. I don't know what that actually means yet though. This is why I had to get you away from your apartment for now. He knows you, knows where to find you. _Riku was scared at the way that the vampire was speaking. In the past few days that she had known him, she knew that this wasn't like Dark to act so worried. Although cold at times, he always seemed extremely cocky and flirtatious but now, he had become reduced to something like this. Helping the vampire gather up most of his things, she couldn't help but notice the smaller version of the painting that she had noticed only yesterday. However, someone else in this picture, another with long golden hair and white wings, accompanied the man with a darker pair that graced his back.

Holding the picture a little bit closer to her however, she realised who the man with the beautifully dark pair of wings was. It was Dark, which meant only one thing to her, for if he was Dark, then the other one was certainly the vampire who took him in, Krad. It seemed that an evil sneer had been painted upon the figure of Krad as his golden irises seemed to be looking at something in the sky. Every bit of detail about this vampire told her that he was evil every way imaginable. However, if he was so evil then why did Dark join with him.

"He taught me everything, even how to recognise a hunter!" Dark said, leaning over her shoulder slightly. Until he spoke those words, she realised that she didn't exactly know that he was there, watching her reactions to the picture. "There's another version of this picture as well, one I had made without Krad in it, but I realised that the picture wasn't the same without him."  
Riku realised that the picture she had seen hanging upon the art gallery was the "other version" that Dark talked about. That was the picture that she had fallen in love with, yet the one in her hand seemed far more beautiful in its own sense, a complete piece.

"I've seen the other piece before, upon the walls of the art gallery in the middle of the city…" She admitted, his smirk grew before he placed a tiny peck upon her cheek. If it had been there all along, it had become an icon attraction. Maybe that was why Dark didn't really like that version of the wonderful piece. Now that she came to think about it though, the picture didn't seem to have anything truly mythological or fantastical compared to the smaller picture she held within her hands. Placing the framed picture upon a bare shelf along with many other ornaments that looked like they had been collected from different culture groups over the years, a low sigh escaped her lips as she felt a thread of sleep try to make her collapse there and then.

"Hey, you can go to bed if you like. I can finish up here. It's not like I need that much energy for the night time anyway!" She accepted his offer without really thinking and took to the room on the right, the one that didn't have all the strange lavish furnishings in. Sleep took over quickly yet nothing followed it. No dreams or nightmares came to her that day. After all, it was time for her to learn to stay awake at night for now.

Dark watched as the girl fell asleep. That was actually his bedroom but he didn't mind giving it up for her. There wasn't much in there anyway except for his portable radio. Shutting the door gently, he removed the black tank top that was designed to fit him perfectly. There was even a set of slits cut into the back to allow him to snap his wings open whenever he wanted to. Unbuckling the belt upon the jeans that he was wearing, he slipped it out before unzipping the catch and placing the trousers along with his tank top and the belt in a nice, neat pile at the end of the bed. Slipping into the silk covers quickly, he closed his eyes, shutting out the events of what had happened so far.

**Authors note: I apologize for this chapter and the last one being shorter than the others. Trying to seek out some inspiration to stretch the story is hard but now I guess since I am going to add a few mysteries, everything will get better soon. Keep the reviews coming in though, I like to hear peoples oppinions.**


	6. Chapter 6:Dark Revelations

**Chapter 6: Dark Revelations and New Personas!**

In the bustling streets of Azumano, the sounds of shuffling could be heard as the silent screeching of the vampire that he was hunting reached his ears. One of them had been caught out in the sun by one of the tricks he had learned to use to survive against the creatures. He wasn't a hunter, well, not exactly like his family anyway. In all fairness he was the outcast of them all, someone who was cursed with a second sight rather than the strength that should have been passed onto him by his mother and father, Emiko and Kosuke. Dark, crimson eyes opened to see golden feathers swirling down on him before realising that the vampire he was once so interested in dived out towards him, fangs bared. Flinging his arms up for protection, Daisuke blinked before he realised that it was only a vision, but was it of his death?  
This wasn't the first time that he had seen this vision either. When he was only nine years of age, a vision of a vampire had dived out at him as well. This vision only happened when he walked into his mothers bedroom to hand her a present wrapped up within a box tied together with a silver and white ribbon. The rumours of white ribbons always seemed to spread around Azumano yet it was only his mother birthday. It wasn't like it was Saint White's Day or anything like that. Since he was standing in front of a mirror that was big enough to cover a single window, that was where he saw his first vision. Looking closely into the mirror, he realised that he was no longer himself. Instead he was a woman, possibly no older than seventeen or eighteen years of age that looked exactly like his best friend Riku, except she was older.

She seemed to be running from something, but what it actually was seemed to be basked within a shower of white feathers that seemed like they could also be mistaken for gold. She was crying, as if mourning for someone and yet feeling terrified all at the same time before a white hand seemed to grab him from the mirror. That was when he blinked and started crying. His mother ran to his side, continually asking what was wrong, yet he felt to scared to say anything to her. For a while he had been placed within a specialists clinic to see if any of them could work out why the boy wasn't speaking. His only visitors at that time were his father, Kosuke (or his mother, Emiko if there was a big, bad vampire to deal with) and his best friend Riku.

Daisuke hadn't met Riku's twin sister, Risa until he was released from the clinic, having being diagnosed with temporary schizophrenia. Only his grandfather, Daiki and Riku believed that he wasn't insane; that what he saw was real. Ever since he was little, Daisuke had managed to convince Riku that vampires were real, that the myths often wrote about them weren't true but even now it seemed, she still remained stubborn to the creatures of the night. They shared everything together, except for the vision Daisuke had seen about what did look like her up and coming death. It seemed that at the time, he couldn't touch anything nor look upon anything that seemed to hide a dark history. Often or not, every time he would lift up his desk in school to retrieve his pen and exercise books, he would see a vision of the girl who sat here before him and what they were actually doing at the time.

People were looking at him now, gasping slightly as expression of pure terror was soon covered by a false expression that he used to try and hide his gift flashing before his very eyes. Picking up the books he had dropped, he raced over to the library before it closed, returning each book that he had borrowed for his project on the planets that existed outside the boundaries of the place they all called Earth – or rather Gaia as it was once called by the astronomers who seemed to study the different aspects of its beauty before it was all destroyed by the chemicals that started to pollute our very planet. He did feel quite tempted to do something interesting like vampires, but at the time he was also beginning to feel pressured into becoming a hunter. His family didn't seem to understand him anymore, he wasn't a hunter, he was a seer.

Placing his card back in his pocket, he walked over into the art gallery. This part didn't shut at the same time as the library did which was good because he always loved to get lost within the rhythm that each piece of artwork always seemed to portray to him every time he walked past. One painting always stood out to him. The painting of a particularly beautiful looking male with a pair of beautiful wings, just as dark as the blanket that covered the skies each night. Each time he saw the painting however, something would always change in the manner of the paints itself. Sometimes, he looked closely enough, the faint outline of a man with a pair of blinding white wings and a cruel smirk that seemed to curl up towards the high heavens.

It was strange because every time Daisuke took a look at it, the outline was beginning to become stronger, whilst the colours of pure white and pale skin tones seemed to start to fill into the already existing window panes coloured with mauve, violets and reds that told him that this was a picture of a beautiful looking vampire that seemed to be becoming invaded by another presence, possibly a sire that has either been driven insane or has just risen from what was known as "The First Death" – a sleep that only makes the vampire seem death like to foolish mortals who can't see the tiny evidences of life, that maggots and other insects refuse to touch the rotting flesh that hangs from each bone grotesquely until the vampire is re-awakened.

"Creepy…" He muttered lightly as he walked on through the art gallery. He noticed a place that was off limits to all, even staff members due to the fact that there were some workers still re-decorating in there. Not that he was really interested in that section anyway. All it really had was sculptures and statues that had been created and re-created through the different uses of different materials. Yawning slightly, he knew he had to go since the blanket of darkness has already covered the skies once more. Tonight was going to be a dangerous trek but the distance wasn't so bad since his home wasn't that far from the gallery anyway. The air seemed chill against his skin, as if he had suddenly walked out of the real world and into a huge freezer.

It didn't seem that long until darkness had risen over the land. Yawning slightly, he managed to push himself out of the silk covers that felt clingy against his naked flesh. The sound of peaceful snoring told him that what had happened earlier was real, that she was actually sleeping in the next room, the human that seemed to be everything he wished for. He had no heart to turn her, not yet anyway. Slipping out of the covers, he quickly got dressed into a dark pair of jeans and a dark crimson shirt with slits cut into the back. Tying up his huge lace up boots, he pulled the hem of each leg over the top of his boots before locking the front door behind him. In all fairness, since he was a vampire, the only grooming he really needed was clothes – even if they did look extremely odd on him, in which sometimes they did.

Walking out into the lobby, he handed his keys into the reception area for safe keeping before strolling off into the night. He wasn't dying for something to eat like he usually was, but he was going to make sure that his strength was up and running just fine. It wasn't long before he saw someone running out of a nightclub. If it wasn't an evildoer, it was usually something beautiful and full of life – been possibly hurt by someone or just ridiculously stupid to actually walk into a dark alley at night. This girl seemed upset to him. Maybe it was going to be the same thing as it was only a few weeks ago where he had slowly devoured the lifeblood of that girl – Ritsuko. Before he could follow her however, his senses seemed to spin onto something else – someone who was going to be in trouble if they didn't get home soon.

Luckily enough, Dark had placed a knife inside one of his boots just before he left. With Krad awake and slightly insane, things were surely going to spice up now on the streets of Azumano, making them far too dangerous for even the innocents who didn't deserve to die. This meant that he couldn't just let anyone wander the streets, especially someone with the power his senses were picking up. Snapping his wings open, he took to the air, trying to pick up on what appeared to be the scents of hunter blood – yet the host seemed to be completely oblivious to what he was. _Christ, if Krad picks up on blood this strong, there will definitely be a massacre._

_Whose the one with the strong blood?  
Riku? Your awake?  
Yes…  
I don't know…wait, he's coming into a view, a boy with crimson hair and eyes, he seems to be wearing a school uniform too…  
Daisuke?  
_Yes, that was his name wasn't it? He had picked that up through the thoughts that ran through Riku's blood, along with the lose of her twin, Risa Harada.

Sweeping up into a landing position, he landed silently behind the boy. So silently that the boy didn't realise he was there until he heard perfectly spoken syllables pushing themselves into his ears. By now, Dark's wings had snapped shut, trying not to frighten the boy.

"Daisuke Niwa?" The boy froze as if he knew what was talking to him. He must have knew something about vampires, especially since his blood seemed heavily laced with the power of a hunter along with the gift of a seer. Turning around, Dark's violet irises seemed to meet dark crimson, although not as dark and beautiful as Riku's. Before the boy could do anything else however, he delivered a quick, light blow to the skull, causing the boy to crumple into his arms before he took off into the air.

**Authors notes: I have decided to include another character into this so that will mean I will be swapping between Riku's and Daisuke's perspectives for each chapter now. Dark will always have a perspective in this since he is one of the key characters...I think you can already guess who the villain is...Anyway, please review!**


	7. Chapter 7:Visions!

**Chapter 7: Visions!**

At any other time, the girl would have been positively over-ecstatic to see her best friend, even if he was lying crippled in the arms of a vampire that had knocked him out for unknown reasons, but right now, the only feeling she felt was pity. The boy never seemed to realise that he too was a player just like she was in this mystery that seemed to be literally swirling around the story of the vampires. There was most definitely something that Dark was keeping hidden from her, even in his thoughts but she didn't feel like pestering him into telling, even if it was a subject that remained only within their minds. If the vampire knew what she was thinking however, he showed no sign of it. Something hadn't been right with him though since he had come back from what looked like was a hunt.

Occasionally the vampire would sit and watch the boy as his chest rose up and down slowly, powerfully, like that of an heir to a particularly powerful hunter. She had always wondered how Daisuke was often faster than anyone else on the Physical Education Committee. A deep, dark sigh escaped lips creased beyond perfection as a fang slid into view. For a while now, Riku had been watching the whole scene, waiting for the boy with amber hair to wake from his deep and unexpected rest. Irises of pure violet turned to the door where she lay slumped against the wall opposite. A sensual feeling seemed to overcome her, a moan waiting to erupt from her mouth as it continued. This feeling was indeed possibly to hard for her to describe. The only thing she could say about it was that she had never felt anything like it before.

This continued for a few minutes more. Invisible hands wrapped themselves gently around her hips, massaging them as tiny gasps erupted from her mouth before they finally stopped, only to be replaced be the real thing as she felt the vampire press her against the wall slightly, lips of ivory silk wrapping around rose petals as her senses began to spin out of control from the kiss. Moans escaped from each, the kiss becoming like that of morphine. More moans escaped from her lips she felt his kisses trail softly, slowly like the smooth pleasure of petals upon delicate flesh. The sensual feeling of satin ran through her fingers as they profusely defiled the long, violet locks of her vampire lover before he trailed slowly back up to her mouth, leaving her with another passionate kiss, before going to check up on the boy.

Every trembled, like a natural high that had blossomed over her mind, taking in all of her senses until she was at it's mercy. Walking away from the room, she could feel Dark's grin from a mile off. Before walking into the front room, she turned to see a streak of violet disappear back into the room that Daisuke was sleeping in, completely oblivious to what had actually happened. She couldn't help but smile at this, its devilishness growing to a point where she simply had to turn her attention to something else to stop. Happiness seemed to overcome her. It felt so intoxicating that she very nearly sung out the lyrics to the song _Pretty _by _Kidney Thieves. _That was her favourite song, the only one that seemed to go back a lot on what had actually happened to her. It was also the one that Risa had requested to be played at her funeral.

A few tears came to her eyes as she remembered how her sister would always sing it as they both went shopping on the bus. Usually the whole bus would chorus in with her, making Riku laugh as her sister always pretended to have a microphone with her. Riku always believed that it was Risa who was the one who could sing, not her yet the first one out of the two twins that was signed up to become a one off singer for the school was Riku, not Risa which really surprised her. Risa offered to support her as her backing vocalist as they each managed to get up on stage after the occasional sense of butterflies that kept making Riku feel like she wanted to turn tail and flee. And the surprises kept on coming. The crowd of parents that had gathered to watch the whole award ceremony was in simple awe as the lyrics of _Pretty _coursed up through the atmosphere, the sound coming from the frightened girl on stage who quickly got into her current circumstances, knowing that she was going anywhere else whilst this was happening.

A blush formed on her face as she heard the lyrics suddenly coursing out of her mouth, hoping that no one was watching or listening to her as she sat upon the dark, leather sofa, tears forming at the memory of her sister. In one moment, she completely let herself go to the lyrics, ignoring the tears that poured forth and tried to distort her voice beyond recognition. Her fragile weakness was beginning to ebb to the surface of her mind, yet she did not let it win. It had now become a fight to last throughout the whole song before the tears could take her over. The song ended, yet she did not. Running into one of the many bathrooms, she stopped before the mirror, feeling disgusted at what she saw. Instead of seeing a girl with a pretty smile on her face, she only saw the remainder of someone who was far too fragile to be of any use so far.

Filling the sink with cold water, she began to splash her face with it to reduce the puffiness around her eyes, before she finally looked like what she once did, except without the smile. They said that singing was a way to release emotions, yet she felt like she had released far too much for her own good. Rubbing at her face with a towel to prevent the skin from chapping dangerously, she took one more look before releasing all the water. Turning towards the shower, she removed her clothing and placed it all in a pile before turning on the taps and stepping into the slowly warming shower. Picking up a sponge, she held up a bottle of shower gel before rubbing it slowly against her body as she attempted to make herself clean.

Feelings of the past often crept up on her at times like this and the only way she could really release it all was to have a nice, relaxing shower, even if it was in the apartment of a vampire. When she had met him, she never thought about running away, didn't really want to. She wasn't like any of the girls that she had known in her class, including Ritsuko who always seemed slightly hyped up over ridiculous things. A look of pure concentration came over here as she managed to recall each face that she could remember from her class. Risa and her had left school at the same time, but Riku wanted to continue onto college even when her sister had fallen ill. What didn't seem to help with the decision though were her grandmother's continuous interferences within their lives.

Even though she always helped out the old lady whenever she could, Riku wasn't that close to her grandmother, neither was Risa! The old lady had an annoying habit of trying to get her involved with other peoples business. Nosy-ness wasn't a very respectable trait in her family, mainly because her grandmother was possibly the only one who could recall everything she saw outside of her window. That was the only conversation that her grandmother would give to people, what she had seen outside her window that day. Some of it was far too disgusting to be saying to other people. The old lady should have known better by now. After all, she was seventy-eight years of age. No one in the family seemed that close to her except for her grandfather.

Rubbing shampoo into her sopping wet mane, she allowed the waters to drink in all of her thoughts, its organic properties reviving her before another shot of pain erupted from her skull, causing her to collide with the floor. Before she fell limp to the pain inside her skull, she could see something, someone running away before white wings enveloped her, bringing on another stab of pain.

"Dark…" She said before she finally gave into the darkness that surrounded her vision.

Her lips tasted like cherries, the sweetest hanging onto his taste buds, even when he had closed his eyes to try and pin point the current whereabouts of Krad. Then the softest sound reached his ears, the sound of someone singing heart fully with all of the power within their voice. Pressing a ear to the door so as not to leave the boy alone, he felt himself slump slightly, the ice that still encased his dead heart finally melting as the singing grew more powerful until he could feel blood tears pouring from his eyes. Never in all of his years of living a life of immortality had he heard such singing. All aspects of concentration turned to the meaning of each lyric before he realised who was actually singing. Opening the door slightly, he listened as Riku's powerful little voice lifted his dark, brooding spirits.  
That was when the sound of crying and a door shutting seemed to bring him back to the world that his spirit seemed to temporarily leave. His emotion radar picked up on more grief. It seemed that Riku hadn't quite let go of her twin Risa. He had picked up on the story once accidentally while she was asleep. The story itself of the Harada twins brought tears to his eyes.

"Once upon a time I was far to cocky for my own good…now look at me!" He seemed to address no one, the syllables of each word unclear now ever to him. No one heard him speak these words, not even the boy who still lay within an unconscious state. He began to fear that he had hit the boy far too hard for his mind to comprehend; yet the sudden movement in the boy's hand told him likewise.

_Not long, he_ thought before the boys eyes shot open, giving him a start. What didn't seem to help was that the boy had also grabbed the vampire's hand, sending a vision subconsciously. What he saw through the boy was disturbing.

_Riku was running through a garden fall of flowers that had seen the better of days. Fear was plastered all over her once pretty face yet what she was running away from was still unclear. Watching her as if he was there, he couldn't help but notice the sudden hint of white that seemed to envelop the sky before a shower of white feathers descended upon them both._

Brilliant irises shot up to meet amber as the boy looked down at him questioningly. It seemed that the boy had recognised him, yet he still looked confused. That was when the faintest thud, followed by the quiet utterance of his name reached his ears. Ignoring it for the moment, he managed to reassure himself of where he was and what the boys name was before telling him to stay put. The boy seemed confused at the vampire's reaction as if he already knew what it was. In fact, what seemed to confirm his suspicions of this was that the boy disobeyed the order and followed him anyway. A sigh escaped his lips, before his senses alerted him of what it was. Kicking the door down, he rushed into the steam-filled bathroom, picking up the unconscious girl and covering her to shield her nakedness from the boy who hadn't noticed.

"Riku…"

**Authors notes: Starting to get longer, yay! Anyway, so far this has been my favourite chapter to write out and yes, I was listening to the song "Pretty" at the time. If you haven't heard it before, I suggest you listen to it, it is really good...  
Anyway, how long do you think this story should be? Because I really don't know myself...**


	8. Chapter 8 : The Painting!

**Chapter 8: The Painting!**

Amber eyes lay steadily upon the female in front of him, waiting for the vampire to return. The boy couldn't trust the tall but wiry man. He didn't really know what it was though that led him to distrust and in the end it was all just chalked off to the works of fate itself. Occasionally her pretty crimson eyes would open but then she would usually slip back into the unconscious state of sleep. It appeared that she was dreaming of something, though what it was was still a mystery to one such as him. A gloved hand rested itself on the bed, not wanting to pass the gift from his palms. Soft shards of crimson curled around each other as a gloved hand swept through a mane of pure crimson that shone brilliantly within the light that emitted from the orb dangling above. Like ice melting within the light of the sun, a warmth shined within his eyes, yet it disappeared very quickly. He had been best friends with the girl that lay upon the lavish bed covered in foreign silks that the vampire must have had specifically imported from possibly many foreign countries.

Something shattered within his hand, yet he felt no pain. The leather of the gloves was made of a rare flesh that had been discovered only within the 19th century, yet it was the only material that protected him and anyone else from harm. Turning to look at the object that had been smashed, he gasped slightly as three white feathers lay upon the floor. Either his eyes were playing tricks on him, trying to get him to succumb to the wild fantasies within his mind or what he was seeing was a sign, possibly signalling that something very bad was going to happen to them all. Picking up one of the feathers, he watched as it turned into dust before the others followed suit, turning back into the shards of glass that they once were. Placing all of the shards inside a chrome bin before taking another look at the girl that lay on the bed. In sleep her face seemed peculiar, almost handsome yet her mouth seemed crooked as if something was troubling her.

"Sleep…rest dear angel…" This words escaped from his mouth just as the soft thud of a door closing alerted him of the vampires whereabouts. The violet haired creature seemed bothered by something, as if the hunt didn't go as well as it should have. Daisuke thought over the current situation for a minute or two. The vampire did seem trustworthy of what was going to be pulled off if they could find the vampire who was responsible for the angst that glittered freely within the hearts of each. Daggers glittered within the eyes of the vampire before being replaced by the angst that had been growing inside him. He hadn't noticed Daisuke yet but he knew that he was watching him, no emotions crossing his unusually perfect facial features. Before they could say anything else to each other however, amber eyes caught the site of a picture, possibly no bigger than an A4 sheet of paper. Holding the picture within his hands, he nearly dropped it as he looked at the two vampires within the painting.

One of them was Dark, the vampire that had knocked him out yet he wasn't the only one in the painting. There was another, yet the details were fading greatly upon his detailed features of pure titanium white. And then it hit him. This was possibly an exact duplicate of the larger painting he had seen within the library, yet it appeared that the essence of the vampire was continuously moving from each painting as if they were alive. The picture dropped out of his hand and before he could react, a pale hand shot out of nowhere, grabbing hold of the frame before it could collide with the ground below.

"Sorry…" He said before placing the picture back up onto its rightful place. It seemed that the vampire himself was completely confused by the surprise that displayed itself ever so freely upon the boy's immaculate features. "…I think you should see something… something that I found within the art gallery of Azumano, Dark." He said before grabbing the dark coat that was hung up against one that was a white duplicate of the one he had picked up. The vampire followed him reluctantly, not saying a word as they crossed the street over to the library that was closed to the public, yet not so to Daisuke. Lifting up the rug, he took out the keys that were hidden underneath before unlatching the huge, oak doors and directing the vampire inside. There were no active alarms, none that he could see with his mortal eyes anyway. Leading the vampire over into the art gallery, he stopped in front of the painting that he had seen before, yet the figure of the vampire beside the "Dark" in the painting could be almost visibly seen except for a few details that were still sinking in.

His ears picked up on the quiet gasp that escaped the vampire's mouth.

"So…I guess your back after all, Krad…"

That was all he had said to strike the boys interests. He could tell by the expression that plastered itself across the boy's immaculate features. A sheet of glass prevented them from reaching the painting yet no one had seen the sudden changes in the picture. The boy eyed him questioningly. He was glad to find that the boy was completely in ignorance of his birth trait. If his information on the boy was correct, he was a blood relative of the one of the greatest vampire hunters whose tale was only told amongst the fledglings of the undead, Daikikana Niwa. The clan themselves had a hidden history with the vampire Krad, mainly because Krad was one of the most vicious killers he had known against the hordes of vampires that he had encountered in his time. Yet, he was also the vampire who taught him everything, even how to pick out a perfect "kill". That was probably the only thing that he didn't like about being a vampire, even though it was beginning to grow on him now.

"There's a hidden meaning in these paintings but right now, we can't reach this version. If I could, I would try to see something on it…" The words of the boy floated around his mind until something came to his head.

"Daisuke, can you keep watch? Outside I mean." The boy did so without asking what the vampire was doing, and before the alarm could register to his strange molecules, he took hold of the painting and slipped it out of the glass sleeve with ease. Just as he had thought that this was all easy however, Daisuke came rushing back in, fear displayed on his feet.

"Dark…police are coming…"


	9. Chapter 9: Sirens

**Chapter 9: Sirens!**

The silent city of Azumano became alive as car after car littered the streets; their sirens sounding like that of the bells that tolled high to the surface from the confinements of hell itself. Violet irises gazed out at each car, glaring with unhidden hatred at the drivers. Each was in blue uniforms with the letters, "A.P.D." printed across the chest in bold titanium white. This was completely unexpected, he had to admit but he wasn't scared. After all, none of them knew what they were dealing with at all. Handing the painting to Daisuke, he cursed as he noticed the hidden sensors causing each and every room to flash a putrid crimson, one that he knew all to well. Someone was coming in through the back pretty quickly. Signalling to Daisuke quietly to hide the painting, they each waited as the scent of a mortal stench grew ever so strongly, tainting the atmosphere around them.

"On the ground! NOW!" Someone was holding a gun to his and Daisuke's head. Lowering himself alongside the boy, he waited as the man above him fumbled with the cuffs before lowering down onto the vampire from behind, a policewoman doing the same. Before the wench knew what was happening however, crimson twisted across her vision before she plummeted onto the ground, having been tripped up by the boy who was now eyeing the gun being pointed straight at him. That was when the vampires elbow hit home up into the mans ribcage, cracking a few ribs in the process. Zipping out through underneath, he laughed cruelly at the expression on each of their faces before following suit as they each made it out into the open, his wings unfurling as he grabbed hold of Daisuke and took to the skies, ignoring the protests coming from Daisuke down below. The painting was within the boy's hands. He had taken it just as they were making their escape.

Feathers brushed against the air delicately, petals falling from the sky into a bed of Chrysanthemums, their roots becoming buried within the earth below. Escaping each police car that tried to catch up with the flying vampire was easy, even the boy holding onto him tightly as they each left the scene behind could do it. Dark feathers fell from the skies, showering everything they touched within a bask of pure purple, new ones growing from where the others had fallen. This didn't hurt him. In fact, to watch them fall was certainly a truly breath taking site to see yet there was a downside to all this. Any vampire could pick one up and easily track him down. That was why he tended to avoid flying whenever he could but back there, it was all different, like that of a group of spectators watching a circus act that simply wooed them and made them feel envious of the gifted performers that performed tricks to impress their audiences.

The oldest trick in the book was tight rope walking and that was certainly something that he was still getting used to. A vampires balance was exceedingly exceptional, yet they still had their faults, a package full of nothing but kinks and hidden nightmares that only came in puzzles for each creature to work out on their own. There was nothing however, that he was scared of, except for losing control on the beast inside his stomach. To tame that beast was like a thousand hells drawn over each other. Two feet pierced the shields of the sky as they came to a positively blistering stop, sending his wings into a state of frenzy as the boy jumped out of his arms, landing perfectly upon the floor. Amber irises concealed by flecks of anger and irritation flicked dangerously around his eyes, staring with hidden daggers at the wiry man in front of him. It appeared that when the vampire had lost control, the boy had become scared of what was happening…or maybe what was going to happen next?

"Idiot…why did you do that?" The boy didn't quite shout but what he was getting across was simply far more unbearable than the constant yowls of a heated argument over nothing of utter importance. The vampire smirked folding his wings back in as he did so. Mortal emotions such as anger made him feel dizzy, yet he never let them take on a temporary hold of his senses. He refused to do so in speaking about what had gone wrong which seemed to anger the boy even more before he finally stomped away into the lobby if the apartment, obviously going to check up on his friend. The vampire remained outside, drinking in the night sky as fangs pierced the flesh of his lower lip, drawing blood yet leaving it to draw itself out instead of slurping or licking the seeping wound, the infections that hang around the air so freely dying upon trying to infect his body. By looking up at the lunar goddess in the sky, drinking in all thoughts that it gave off, he felt like he was floating slightly, yet his wings weren't out.

"Geez…what's wrong with me?" The words spoke meaningless thoughts of utter insanity to the people who passed by him, whispering words that he could pick up with his sensitive hearing yet refused to listen to each. Words of a song floated around his mind ever so freely, like that of a parasite refusing to die from hardly any contact with an organic host.

"_Tender words whisper slowly upon dreams and nightmares,_

_Each dream speaking only words of happiness and wisdom,_

_Yet we all die at the hands of a nightmare. _

_The very nightmare that haunts us all._

_How is it all going to end?  
What will happen when we are gone?"_

Those words stuck with him all the way as he took off into the lobby, resting cold hands upon the reception desk as he took one look at the empty desk before moving on to his apartment. By now, it appeared that Daisuke had found the secret key that was always placed after its uses under the rug beside the door. Slipping his claws into the lock gently, he managed to pick at the stubborn metal cache with ease before shutting the door quietly, strolling slowly into the room beyond the wall. No one heard him come in and that was the way he liked it. The painting had been left upon the coffee table, the figure of Krad becoming slowly more detailed. This painting had once been a masterpiece, done by a young, budding artist who was especially interested in painting supernatural beings. Now all that the painting resembled was just a piece of paper, slowly spreading the evil of a man who appeared to be trapped in two dimensions in its own right.

Dreams of nightmares long passed the borders of time itself seemed to reach her mind as she lay in temporary rest, her mind disturbed at what she saw when she always closed her eyes:

_Risa lay asleep as if nothing had happened to her. Her skin wasn't pale, nor was her pretty eyes lifeless. Brown globs brimming with tears looked up at the window as if frightened of what was going to possibly come through her window. One swift movement, one shower of gold, one scream that sent her blood flying to the roof of her head, making her feel noxious and ill from the scene at hand. This was something she didn't want to see. Her sister fell silent, her body slumping itself back into the once comfortable bed that soon became the resting place of the falling martyr as a wraith like creature turned to her, its golden wings driven to ride the winds even further. She felt sick, like this was just a horror movie and nothing more. _

This was becoming far too much for Riku's small frame thrashed wildly against the bed covers, the silk becoming crumpled under the girl whose eyes shot open just as a scream erupted from her throat, followed by sobs and the crying of her sisters name. A pair of arms tried to calm her down, yet it was not dark. Looking up into amber, she immediately clasped him into a hug, whispering his name continuously as if it was her last. The door shot open then, followed by the sound of Daisuke's voice as he promised to check up on her after. She could feel violet irises looking over her trembling frame before she tried to explain in a trembling voice that seemed hard to actually make any sense out of, but the vampire managed to do so as he wrapped cool arms around her trembling frame, kissing away her tears as if they were a terrible burden.

You mean everything to me…I hate to see you like this, my beautiful angel. Please don't cry… 

As soon as that was said, the girl quieted a little, the memory of the nightmare beginning to fade from her mind as she lay within the arms of her lover, feeling his delicate fingers trace the side of her hip.

Now I know how she died…

**Authors notes: I know I can't write songs but I had to give it a try...  
**


	10. Chapter 10: Kidnapped!

**Chapter 10: Kidnapped!**

Daisuke 

Light shone upon amber irises, tainting them with happiness. However, he wasn't happy. In fact, far from it. Today was the day that it was going to happen, that a vampire was going to kidnap his best friend unless there was some way they could stop it from happening. He had conversed with the vampire earlier. Riku knew nothing of this, both the vampire and Daisuke hoping that it was just a false premonition. That had happened to him once before, when he was fourteen so it wasn't really that long ago. Night had changed into day quickly, the sky covered by warm sheets of light blue and yellow. The event wasn't going to happen until nighttime, possibly after something that was going to upset Riku and make her absent from the safety of the underground apartment. Only five 0'clock, there was still another hour before darkness completely eclipsed the skies, yet he did not feel afraid. After all, he had been waiting for this since he was nine years old, hidden away inside an asylum for no one else to find, only to succumb to horrors far worse than what was on the outside of the asylum building.

Picking up the satchel that contained various weapons to help them all, he kept to the shadows of each street, not wanting to be recognised by anyone who knew him. If he was spotted, his parents would worry and soon enough, they would bring the whole cavalry out to find him and that was something that he didn't want happening now that he had somehow befriended a vampire that had actually kidnapped him in a sense. That was for his own good though. He knew that right before he was knocked out cold. This creature wasn't like any other vampire he had encountered. This one despised killing innocents, which was so unlike any creature of the night. Usually, they would jump at the chance of doing so. That was what had been drilled into him when he was thirteen anyway, an age where he was allowed out at night, not that he went out much unless his best friend Riku wasn't doing anything as well. Then usually the two of them painted the apartment block red.

Lifting his hand up to his neck, he could feel two holes from where Dark had bit him last night just to establish contact between him and the vampire. That was what they were going to use to tonight to communicate with each other. A curtain of blackness began to cover the sky slowly, signalling to Daisuke that it was nearly time. A yawn in the back of his head told him that the vampire was awake. This was part of the communication between both vampire and human – or rather a seer in his case. Tightening his grip on the satchel, he waited outside the apartment, staying out of site just in case Riku was going to come out at any minute and spot him. He didn't want that, didn't want her to know that he was there, hiding in the shadows, helping the vampire protect her from what was about to come.

"Oh cruel fate…spare her from this disaster…" It was a plea; he knew that yet it was also how he felt. In truth, he knew that there maybe no way to stop what was going to happen. If that was the case though, he was willing to change, swap places with Riku and accept a fate worse than death.

Soon enough, the vampire, Dark came out with Riku wrapped around his one arm. It appeared that the vampire was dressed for what was about to happen. A torn pair of jeans and a ripped shirt graced the man with violet bangs that were left within its usual, messy style. The vampire looked briefly at where he was hiding, baring one of his trademark grins before proceeding on with the questioning Riku. It seemed that the vampire was good with covering his secret tracks. Crawling along with the heavy satchel upon his back, he made himself look as unrecognisable as possible within the shadows that had managed to cast themselves so freely over the streets that each of them were walking in. A glint of gold shot across his vision, yet he ignored it, thinking that it was just one of his many visions. Shrugging off the feeling, he managed to keep up with the couple, pushing past crowds of people as he did so.

_Dark…picking up on the vampire's scent yet…?  
_It took only a small while for the vampire to reply back. It was apparent to Daisuke that the creature of the night was concealing his thoughts from the girl still wrapped around his arm.

_Yes…very strongly in fact. I think he's here! Keep on your toes anyway! _

_That isn't a very hard request but I shall do so…_Never before had Daisuke boasted about his abilities. In fact, he never quite realised what he could do with the hunter blood inside him. Before he could think about it however, a laughter interrupted his thoughts, one that was evil to the touch of the tone.

Dark 

A laughter echoed through his mind, one that he hoped he would never hear ever again. Proceeding to block off his mind from the in-coming intruder, he signalled to Daisuke to do the same before they each turned into a small side street, possibly no bigger than the lobby that simply led to their apartments. Fingering the knife within his pocket, he did not wince as he felt the bite of the blade against ivory flesh. Any weakness that was shown to him was a way for a crazy vampire such as Krad to attack from the inside and that was something that was truly unpleasant. The girl in his arms sighed, as if she was already bored of their walk around the city. A strong scent came from behind him. Turning around when he was so sure that Riku wasn't paying much attention, he eyed out Daisuke who was keeping as silent as a mouse.

_Come on…when are you going to attack? _He thought only to himself, not allowing anyone else to pick up on what he was currently thinking, not even the boy whose blood tasted so sweet that it was almost impossible for him to tear himself away. They say that the blood of a hunter was like an elixir to vampires. There was something he was also keeping from them both, something that he was so sure that Krad didn't know either. There was another hunter, one that suffered the same just as Daisuke, one who only looked after its family when all else was gone. Looking down at the girl in his arms, he placed a gentle kiss upon her sweet tasting lips before letting her go, allowing her to walk by herself. The sound of shuffling alerted him but he ignored it, shrugging it off to Daisuke possibly impersonating a homeless person, but when did Daisuke walk about wearing only white? That was when he felt it for the first time that night. A slicing pain ebbing its way into his back like that of a blade gracing flesh. He didn't have to look behind him to know who was there. Dropping to the floor, he lay still, his eyes becoming tainted with crimson. Sharply kicking his side, the vampire dressed all in white seemed to snicker before he turned towards the terrified Riku, murder intent upon his actions but Daisuke was far too quick for the vampire. Dropping to the floor, the vampire yelled crazily as he hit the floor whilst Riku proceeded to run away just like that of the vision, tears dripping off of her pretty little face. The boy didn't get a second chance to react to what was coming next as he was tripped over onto the floor, temporarily winding himself. Muscles creased themselves together, pulling at each tendon as he lay still, watching Krad yet looking lifeless at the same time.

Riku 

_That did not happen! It couldn't have! _She thought as more tears poured from her eyes, yet what she saw was no trick, her eyes did not deceive her as they sometimes did. The vampire was nowhere in sight, yet that did not mean that he had stopped pursuing her because of what she was – a mortal who simply got in the way by falling in love with a creature of the night. Aches coursed up her arms and legs, her muscles beginning to tire as she sprinted as fast as it was possible for her right now. And then the strangest thing happened. It seemed as if she had walked into a shower of some kind, one that wasn't of the comfort of water but the seething chilliness of white feathers. Before she could do anything else however, the vampire lunged out at her, sinking his fangs into her neck. She screamed as she felt the razor sharp fangs hit home and then she began to feel light, as if she was floating, her eyes slowly beginning to close before the vampire lifted his head and disappeared, leaving her to lie upon the damp floor.

Visions of violet flooded her mind as she felt someone place a bleeding wrist to her mouth, one that she drank from vigorously before the folds of darkness took over and she sunk into them, feeling as if something had died inside her.


	11. Chapter 11: Unwanted

**Chapter 11: Unwanted**

Voices could be heard coming from an unknown abyss, yet she stayed ignorant, an unknown sensation of something changing inside her. This was her dying wasn't it? This was how it was going to end for her now. She knew that yet she still remained ignorant to the voices asking her to "Wake up" all the time. After all, it wasn't as if she was actually asleep, this was more of a permanent rest. Images floated by her minds eye, some of them showing a boy possibly no older than thirteen years of age fighting against a far more brutish lad. Violet irises stained with tears quickly replaced the furious look upon the boy's face, looking at her directly as if he knew that she was watching him. In fact, who knows, maybe he did know that she was watching the scenery; it's grainy landscape reminding her of the ferocious thunderstorms that she always witnessed with her twin sister, Risa from the bed that they each occupied for the time being. Riku would always be asleep at one end of the bed, dreaming of days that had been forgotten when a thunderclap would wake her and Risa.

Floating now, dropping even further into the visions of this boy that she noticed was slowly becoming a man; someone that she recognised yet could not place a name to the images. Someone was crying, crying for this boy yet she could not see whom it was until a girl came into view, someone who looked startlingly like her. Fresh tears were dripping from puffy eyes as the boy embraced her in a hug, trying to calm her down. Then someone was screaming, screaming in pain from an open wound in the side of his neck. A dark, looming figure stood over the boy that she recognised from the images, clasping a weakening hand to his neck. He was being fed something, something that looked like blood. Then a sound came, yet it wasn't from the visions that were so freely given to her. It came from the bowels of her vocal cords.

"DARK!!!" Yes, that was his name wasn't it? Dark! Someone who she had been deeply in love with when she was alive, yet that blonde vampire took everything away from her, sent her into an unwanted abyss of thoughts, dreams and nightmares. That was blood that she was given and these were his memories that had obviously been passed on through the visions. That was when site was given to her and she nearly screamed as a truly horrifying pain had escaped from her stomach.

"Riku, do not fear. It is only your body that dies!" That voice, it was hard to place yet she could recognise each clear syllable, the sentences resonating with a high sense of formality. A cool hand was placed on her chest, something to prevent her from thrashing out wildly as the pain grew steadily more unbearable. This was it! This was the event that was going to change her life, something that she had witnessed once in a nightmare. She was going to die and become reborn into something that she didn't want to be. A vampire!

Thoughts of revenge coursed through her mind. She wanted that vampire dead, wanted to feel cool crimson tainting her lips, yet she felt the unbearable guilt of drinking blood all at the same time. It was enough to make her feel like she was going to explode at any minute along with the pain she was feeling inside of her. Thrashing wildly against the grip, she felt cool arms grab her, someone strong, someone who has dealt with this once before. The pain grew thin, fresh tears coursing from dark eyes flecked with crimson. Gasping for air could be heard, followed by realisation that she would never breathe it in ever again. Wiping the tears away, she turned to Daisuke, smelling hot blood for the first time yet resisting to take him down. The blood had also passed on all its teachings. Her kills were to be evildoers that had deserved to die for a very long time. And the mystery of Ritsuko's death was solved yet she felt nothing for the girl; she only mourned her sister who she thought she saw within the dark abyss of death.

"Look around…" The cool, sultry of voice of Dark could be heard, obviously pushing back emotion. Taking a look around, she gasped as she realised that everything was in far more detail, objects moved when she knew that they should not and the beauty of the moon stuck out amongst all the stars in the sky, its radiance becoming ever more beautiful at each glance.

A grin formed at the girl's excitement. At first, he thought that he had given too much, his pale skin tone becoming ever more paler by the second, yet he also knew that this was the only way he could save her now from a premature death. The boy had grabbed him when he remained silent on the floor, watching as she screamed from being suddenly chased by Krad, but it was the only thing that he could do now – watch! He wanted to surprise his teacher and saw in no way that this was indeed selfishness that had been growing inside of him ever since he left Krad to rot within his grave. There was a reason for this, something that Dark had kept from everyone who knew Krad or about him, something that he knew he should have said before all this happened yet he did not. Each day, the vampire was becoming ever more the monster that had been growing inside of him since Dark watched the blood stained angel take out all of the hunters that were threatening to stake his heart with a vile sharp piece of wood and take off his head because of what he was.

The only one who knew about this now was Riku. He kept all barriers at bay, wanting to show her things that he could not say when she was only human. Now she was a vampire, it was guaranteed that she would understand why Krad had become crazy in the first place and that it was something that Dark was willing to make up for. Suddenly the girl screamed. He held onto her yet wild thrashings were causing his grip to become strained. Wings were forming out of her back, which wasn't good. If she dropped feathers, Krad would be able to easily track them. He watched Daisuke's state of shock from the corner of his eye and as he noticed the boy try to advance on Riku, obviously to help Dark keep her from thrashing out wildly, words formed at his mouth which informed the boy that he should stay back just in case something bad happened. After all, it was impossible to tell how much strength the girl actually had inside her now.

"Oh god…it hurts!" She exclaimed suddenly as a portion of skin opened on her now revealed back. Daisuke had turned away, obviously not wanting to see what was happening to his best friend. Dark couldn't blame him. It was terribly unpleasant for a human to watch something like this, especially since the looming thought of the human being changed as well hung so freely over the air, yet he could not be changed. This was how it was meant to be. He was meant to be a hunter and they were meant to be vampires. He had already committed one crime by turning an unsuspecting hunter into a vampire and now listening to her screams were his atonement, his own filthy punishment that he knew that he deserved, yet he also knew that he couldn't let her die, not after what they had each established to each other. The screaming was then silenced, only to be replaced by gasps as her skin healed around a pair of white, tawny owl-like wings that were just as beautiful as their host.

_Daisuke, I am sorry…_The boy didn't answer for a while. He was obviously trying to get over what he had seen. This only meant one thing to Dark though and he knew that it was going to be dangerous. One day, the boy was going to want to be turned as well, just so that he wouldn't have to grow old and die, but if his blood caught up with him, it was also clear to Dark that Daisuke knew that he would have to accept his birth trait.

**Authors notes: I apologize for the sudden shortness in some chapters. Beginning to have problems with the length of each I admit but I am aiming to finish this now. Still, how long do you think it should be? I'll try fifteen chapters for now but I may go over. The story is going to change now that Riku has become a vampire. Who knows, maybe even Daisuke might become changed too...YAY TRIO OF VAMPS!!!!  
Anyway, please review this and no flaming thank you!**


	12. Chapter 12: Change!

**Chapter 12: Change!**

Daisuke hadn't spoken words that could describe what he saw on that night, that very fateful night for days. And because of this, she felt responsible for her silly mistakes that had changed her life forever. However, the vampire who gave her his blood wasn't to blame. It was the one with the golden irises and white wings that looked like they were graced by angels. This was all of her doing, all her fault and now she was taking a punishment for it; one that meant that she would have to feast on humans to live. This was the first week of change and right now, no matter what Dark and Daisuke used to try to get her to drink, she completely refused to. It was no longer possible for her to look in a mirror like she used to. If she could look in a mirror right now though, she felt unsure of whether she would want to see what she had become. Besides she could see from point downward how extremely thin she had become. Dark had taught her how to kill, how to survive in such conditions as the night but she refused to do so. The first few days it was all easy for her to say that she had been eating when she was going out, but really she was only going out to examine how much everything had changed.

A fledgling like her would never starve herself like this, but she wasn't like them. Just like Dark, she had a soul, something that bled ever so freely when it decided that it should. Rubbing her neck slightly at where she was first bitten by the vampire who attacked her, she sighed, its undulated tones of what was once human echoed throughout the bedroom. Occasionally Daisuke would come to the locked door, trying to persuade her to come out into the open but she felt that it was now extremely dangerous for her best friend to remain around her – unless he was changed as well.

_He can't be changed, he doesn't deserve this. He deserves a better life…_She thought at what she thought was herself, that was until another sigh escaped from the back of her mind, one that put pressure upon her body.

_Riku…you know that isn't possible, he's a hunter…I already broke the rules turning you._

_HOW WAS THAT BREAKING THE RULES? _She screamed into her mind. After all, she wanted to know why the vampire had become so secretive.

_Because…you were a hunter yourself. How did you think that you have the strength to fight like you did? Not all humans have that strength!_

That hit her, it hit her pretty hard. She wanted to know why the vampire was so secretive yet now, she realised that she preferred not to know. After all, it only leads to more questions. Examining the sign above her door, her face creased slightly as she realised that she could understand and speak foreign languages like that above her door.

"Ein Geheimnis ist etwas, das das zu mehr Antworten führt." She spoke only to herself as she read it out loud. It was a passage in German that talked about mysteries and how they would lead to more answers if anyone really wanted to look for them. A knock on the door shook her out of her temporary state of what she could only describe as a trance of some sorts. "Daisuke, leave me alone."

"No, not until you have fed yourself." At least the boy cared about this but the smell of powerful blood always crept to her nostrils every time he knocked on the door and tried to convince her.

"I'm not coming out!" On the contrary she could sneak out when the boy was asleep but she didn't say anything. Letting off no more words, the boy seemed to sigh before walking away. That was when the door broke into splinters, revealing a once amber haired young man, now covered in dust. "What the…hell did you just do?"

"Heh heh, don't worry about that! I asked Dark if I could do it and he agreed if it was the only way to get you out." She couldn't help but look him over. He had been training very hard how to fight and survive, ready for the battle between Krad and of course themselves to finally come rearing its ugly head. His cheeks appeared shapelier than what they once were and his torso also looked much more toned than what it was when they were both in school together. "…besides if I didn't do it, he would have and it would have been a lot more unpleasant than that."

"He's mad at me then?" She couldn't easily tell by the way that they had been having conversations between each other in there head, especially since the vampire always seemed to speak coolly or sarcastic when they were speaking like that. Now that she mentioned it, she could pick up on the vampires emotions now she was finally out of that room and it pained her to feel how hurt he actually felt because of what she was doing. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she never quite realised that Daisuke had walked off, only to be replaced be a cool pair of hands that pressed her against the wall.

"Look what you're doing to yourself Riku," Dark said as he forced her to look down at her unusually pale flesh. She yelped slightly as she felt pain erupt from the back of her neck but she looked anyway, and realised how truly scary she had become. Pale flesh thinly covered what looked like the small frame of a woman suffering from anorexia. "LOOK!" Tears were coming from her eyes as she realised what she had been doing to herself. Yet she did not care when she felt them hit the floor. The grip on her head released, her neck feeling relieved from the pressure yet she couldn't stop the tears, or the vampire from wrapping his arms around her. Feelings of pain coming from him didn't help as she tried to quiet, to stop the tears. And she sniffled once, twice, maybe three times before she finally stopped, feeling her mouth become covered by delicate lips that seemed to take all the pain away as each crushed against each other.

They each stopped just as Daisuke came back in with what literally looked like a crate full of blood. This was obviously for her to sustain herself for a while but she knew that she would also have to kill a human tonight if she was ever going to make it at all.

Dark cursed slightly as the blood packet he was trying to open burst within his hands. Both Daisuke and Riku noticed this and each began to snigger a little, before those sniggers turned into giggles and finally into laughter. He ignored them as he reached into the crate full of blood to try once again before being stopped by Riku who offered to help. Emotions often caused his strength to go slightly overboard on things like this and so he accepted the help, throwing a cushion at Daisuke to try and shut him up without much success since the younger man's skills and reflexes had been improved. The packet opened with ease, unlike the ones he had been trying to open. Just by drinking off of donated blood, Dark could already see the improvements in Riku's appearance. He had tried to starve himself once, after he had left Krad to go into the earth on his own. It was only just a week before he was found lying in the middle of an alley by Satoshi. That was how they both had the blood connection and it was Satoshi, not Krad who taught him about that.

Riku's laughter may have died down to the point where she was helping him overcome this but Daisuke's hadn't and when both Riku and Dark glared at him, it got worse until the younger man left the room, realizing how much of a fool he was being.

"He grows older but nothing changes…" He heard Riku say with a slight smile on her face. However, seeing Daisuke like that only reminded him of what he was like when he was alive himself.

"Nothing changes…unless you're immortal…"

Authors notes: I'm finally back at it and start to expect more german verses as the story goes on.


	13. Chapter 13: Sickness!

In The Company of a Vampire 

**Chapter 13: Sickness!**

Snivelling slightly, Daisuke lay upon the bed, looking up at the ceiling. A virus had invaded his mind, like that of the visions he always saw when he was asleep or when he touched objects. However this wasn't like any of the common colds that passed around, it was more of a flu-like virus that had also invaded his mind, his ability to concentrate on dodging traps and moves used by his opponents becoming that of nothing now. The vampires that he now lived with had been taking it in turns to hunt out the spots where Krad was last seen each night now. It was easier for them to do so since the blood inside them heightened all of their senses. This virus had made him continuously feel like there was a jackhammer inside his skull. The doors had to be closed gently to prevent another headache coming on all the time. It was nighttime yet he couldn't sleep. Weird dreams had been coming to his mind lately, he couldn't tell if it was from the illness or from what was going to happen.

_Grass as green as jade swept past bruised ankles as he walked along the lanes of death as they were always called. People had died here, people he once knew, all by the hands of vampires. This was where Rika Harada lay still to this day. Dark said to him once that he knew her and her killer, yet he wouldn't say anymore. This often gave Daisuke a few ideas as to who the killer really was but his suspicions were never brought up once again. A girl of old fashion walked past him, a darkness over her once pretty features. She was holding an umbrella covered in frosted raindrops and it seemed as if she was waiting for someone. Although handsome in bone structure, this girl had long seen the days of where budding beauty grew upon her face. Then a darker figure emerged by the side of the girl and Daisuke couldn't help but notice that she had exactly the same eyes as Riku. _

"_Dearest Rika, I have come for you…" The tone was of Dark, the violet mane easily seen within the passing moon. So this must have been the reason why Dark seemed quiet yet quite attached to Riku. She must have reminded him a lot of Rika Harada, her aunty as it was, yet this girl was dressed in olden style, like that of the Victorian ages. Was Rika Harada really her aunty? Or was she something else all together? _

"_My love, I fear all is no longer as it seems…" It seemed that the girl knew something about vampires but what it was wasn't revealed as everything faded to black before being followed by her screams and feathers of dark amethyst and white. _

"Rika?" He said as he awoke once more to be greeted by a blinding sun and hurried shuffling in the house. Stepping out of bed cautiously, he grabbed a dagger that he always left beside his bed when he was asleep. Sometimes he would immediately pick it up if someone or something waked him, often looking like something from a movie. Stepping out into the hallway, someone rushed by his room, followed by shouts that told him they were being broken into.

Dark had heard the shouts too. Turning over once to look at the woman sleeping beside him, he got out of bed and dressed quickly into a pair of dark jeans and a black tank top like he always did when he was woken up like this. Fangs bared, he was going to frighten them off like he always did when this happened. That was when things got slightly worse. Opening the door, he noticed that Daisuke was also up and waiting for him as he slashed at each of them with the dagger he always used.

"Shit…this guy is crazy…" One of them said as he took a cleverly placed slash at his arm, followed by an attack from behind as Dark pushed him straight into the wall, followed by a round house kick to another just as they all attempted to dive on the new comer. Flipping up over each of them expertly, he gasped as he noticed the marks on each of their arms, a dragon breathing fire. Signalling to Daisuke that it was safe to kill them, he tore through the chest of the one whilst leaping onto another and sinking his fangs into his victims neck.

_Daisuke, these are the kanatani's! They work for Krad! _

_Really? So that mean we can kill them, right Dark?  
Yes!_

They didn't actually work for Krad, they were just sort of like vampire hunters, just like the ones who attacked him now that he thought about it. They were rogue hunters. People who worked for the vampires yet killed them at the same time. Why the vampires trusted them with there lives was still a mystery, even to Dark.


	14. Chapter 14: In A Sweet Embrace

**In The Company Of A Vampire Chapter 14:  
In A Sweet Embrace Darkness shall not prevail…**

**Authors notes: Okay, before anyone clobbers me for being really really really late with this chapter, I have been busy with college and so did lose my inspiration for this story but now I have it backand am reayd to write it once more. **

****

Night had slowly descended into day, leaving Daisuke alone as the vampire retired once more to hide from the suns deadly rays. Daisuke hadn't seen the true beauty of the sun for a long time and when he looked up, he was nearly blinded, his eyes running the waterworks caused by the cold. He took another dose of medicine. Today was going to be boring like any other day now. No vampire or Kanatani attacks to worry about, no visions to help him see what was going to happen next. No, today was going to be normal for once, something that Daisuke began to long for now that he was training to use both of what was given to him at birth – his vampire hunting skills and the sight of a seer. Something gleamed in the light of the sun out of the corner of his eye.

Ignoring the sudden disturbance of thought, he picked up the bowl of ice cream and walked over to the radio that had been put out here by Dark just in case the human became bored. Turning the small dial to on, he switched the channels over until _One More Addiction _by _Natalie Imbruglia _took over from the continuous Pop music that was always being discovered by the radio. Taking a scoop of ice cream from the bowl, his senses spin as the vanilla flavoured ice cream ran all the way down his throat, causing him to take another and another before the whole bowl was finished. Placing the bowl in the kitchen ready to be cleaned up afterwards, he spluttered once, twice, three times for being allowed some more air. Daisuke thought that if Krad didn't kill him when it was time to encounter him once more, then this virus was going to get the job done before hand.

Walking into what was his bedroom for the time being, he took off the pyjamas that seemed stuck to his frame before rummaging through the draws to find a suitable pair of shorts that seemed easy to run about in whilst also picking up the vest top he wore yesterday since it was the only one that wasn't being washed at this very instant. Rummaging through the underwear draw was never an easy task for Daisuke who often pulled out the draw on accident now due to his inability to control his strength, which was growing at a rapid rate. Ending up sprawled on the floor with a pair of boxer shorts covering his face, he sighed, wishing that his clumsiness wouldn't be best pals with his strength. After all that was what it seemed like to him now.

Once he was finally dressed, he tied up the punch bag, moving most of the furniture in the living room before also placing an exercise mat on the floor so that he could tone up his flexibility afterwards. Wrapping the knuckle bandages around his bare knuckles, he took one swing at the red bag, his anger and frustration beating back the effects of the virus as he twisted out of the way of the swinging bag before punching it once more followed by a fist that led into an upper cut. The bag seemed to swing almost out of control from the strength that was pummelling into it along with the boy but that didn't stop him as he performed a round house kick he had been working on for a while, hoping that his balance wouldn't be affected as his leg swung out, impacting with the bag before he twisted around, placing his feet perfectly on the floor.

Taking another swing at the bag, the face of Krad seemed to loom before his very eyes causing the rhythm of each sudden punch and kick to actually become faster. To Daisuke, this was also his only way of actually trying to forget what had happened to his friend Riku when the insane vampire attacked her. Daisuke knew that changing Riku was the only way and that Dark had to use his own blood to do it but it still hurt him to see the truth of our own evolution once affected by the vampire genes. Seeming to run up the wall, he pushed himself off as his foot swung out to come into contact with the bag that collapsed from the stand as soon as it was hit.

"Oh no…" Daisuke muttered almost breathlessly as he grabbed the bag which was heading dangerously over to where the two paintings were now.

Fixing up the stand once more, he realised that toning up his muscles from the bag continuously was starting to have an affect on him as he looked at the muscles seeming to ripple strangely in his smoothly toned legs, before taking a sip out of the glass of water that he left there from earlier and walked over to the mat, ready to perform the basic flips before moving onto the more advanced exercises he had been using to increase and show off his flexibility. Placing his hands on the start of the mat quickly, he managed to bring over his legs causing him to immediately put his hands upon the floor once more and lift both legs simultaneously before pulling them both over, which was then followed by a cart wheel. Taking one look back at the mat in which he had reached the end of now, he followed the same procedures going backwards instead of forwards before taking a small breather and positioning himself to leap over the sofa in which he had left in a certain position ready for his uses. Taking a few steps back, he seemed to brace himself before running towards the sofa, placing his hands on the smooth surface, lifting his legs up until it seemed that he was doing the splits in the air before pushing over the sofa, landing on the floor into a perfect flip forward, hands placed firmly over the floor whilst his legs pushed themselves right over his head. Standing up, he moved the sofa out of the way by placing it back into the place where it was supposed to be before walking back to the mat, flipping head over heels once in the same fashion as he did when he started practicing these moves before flipping up onto his hands once more, twisting his body once so that he was facing the opposite direction before performing a standard back flip.

This was how his training sessions were now, filled with anything that could be used to dodge since he was far off from sparing with Dark in a test of his abilities. Draining the whole glass, he made his way to the shower, nearly tripping up on the rug as he made his way out of the living room. The illness was forgotten. It was the effects of his training that seemingly made him feel better. The muscles rippled slightly under his skin as he walked towards the bathroom, removing the vest top and the shorts as he did so before walking into the bathroom and removing everything else altogether. Turning the nozzle until a jet of warm water shot out of the head of the shower, he stepped in, making sure to shut the glass door just in case one of the others had woken up.

It was only two 0' clock in the afternoon and already Daisuke was bored with everything as it was now. Picking up a bottle of apple scented shampoo, he lathered the product through his own amber mane that seemed odd in places mainly of the natural spikes in his hair. Washing the shampoo out by using the water, he replaced the cap on the bottle before picking up the soap, using the bar to cleanse his skin of all the everyday life impurities that affected us all. It took him a while to feel that he was completely clean from all the toxins except for the main one that was affecting his health as it were. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped it around the lower half of his body before stepping out of the shower, taking care not to slip since his feet were soaking wet from the downpour.

I've only been in there for half an hour, what do to…he seemed to think as he walked out of the bathroom to retrieve the clothes he had left in the wash from this morning and to also take another dose from the bottle of medicine as it seemed that this virus wanted to act up once again. Allowing the medicine to slide revoltingly down the back of his throat in two spoonfuls, he picked up the basket full of clothes and placed each of them into the tumble dryer before turning the dials so that it would heat up quickly and allow him to get dressed.

_You know…you could actually rest since you are ill Daisuke! _The sharp notion coming from Dark seemed to startle him a little. Talking to the vampire while he was asleep was a little strange, but sometimes also handy if he needed help with anything.

Taking up the advice, he put on the pyjamas from earlier as his eyes began to water once more from the pressure of the cold before slumping onto the sofa, grabbing the remote of the TV Riku had brought from her apartment before turning it on and seeing if there was anything of interest to watch before finally settling on a repeat episode of _Scooby Doo _– the old cartoon series as it were. It was the best thing on. A rather hearty laughter came from the back of his mind.

Hey, you would watch this as well if it were the best thing on… 

_Don't have an interest in TV Daisuke…_

_Well what if you did?  
_For now, the vampire remained silent, causing Daisuke to sigh as the time dragged by slowly.


	15. Chapter 15: Sunless Sands

**In The Company of A Vampire Chapter 15: **

**Sunless Sands**

_A picture from a horrific nightmare hung on a wall that had seen the better of days, its hollow material just as hollow as the soul of a careless demon. A crimson substance danced along the floor, the horror behind the eyes of the person who looked in the mirror. A person out of place, out of his own time. Missing something that was once his. A face flickered across his mind, sunless sands following a body made of golden light. Crimson irises stared back at his own, a reminder of what he had done. Today was the big escape, to run away from this place that was now his prison. People leered and threw stuff at him when he was a child and it felt the same now for the person who stood in front of the mirror, looking back at him like a child's nightmare._

_Music blasted from a nearby radio. An alien to his ears, the hypnotic beat adding to the eerie effect of the dimly lit room. The crimson substance covered him from head to toe yet Daisuke didn't know how it got there, nor why he was actually standing in front of the mirror. It was only once he had tried to tell someone else about Dark. No one accepted him for what he had to say. He was locked away only for a time, playing with the minds of the doctors in order to release him from his prison now. The lingering taste of the strangely tasteless pills still lingered in his mouth. This was his own punishment, his own curse and what was also now his reality of living inside an abandoned apartment where both the vampire and Daisuke watched as Krad tore something away from them…this place so full of his haunted memories._

Dark woke up, sweat pouring down from his forehead, the sheets beneath him soaked to the core with sweat. Never before in his age-old life had he had such a dream, especially one that concerned the future of someone that he was starting to grow fond of. It seemed that there was more to the boy than meets the eye yet what it actually was, was difficult to pick up on mainly because of how clumsy the boy was even though he was a hunter. Yet it was useless to make assumptions that would only lead to more suspicion and a possible dead end. Clenching his fists slightly, he didn't flinch at the smell of blood that flowed from the wound he had caused inside his own palm, a deep gash with marks that were caused by the claws that were quickly retracting into the tips of his fingers.

"Oh god…" It was no use thinking about what had just happened to him. Pushing himself out of bed, noticing that Riku was already up, he revolted at the thought of licking his own wound and so decided just to get dressed and pick up a plaster that was big enough to cover the broken skin. Placing a dark silk shirt over his bare torso, he felt his own dead skin shiver at the feel of healing silk before putting on a suitable pair of black trousers that seemed to make him seem almost normal. In fact, his own attire of clothing for the day made him feel like that except for the slits that had been cut into the back of the shirt which reminded him that he wasn't human. Instead of laughing like anyone with any sanity would, a blood red tear fell from his right eye before another joined its predecessor from the left.

Pushing open the door slightly, one small peak outside told him that Daisuke had forgotten to take down the Punching Bag. However the vampire knew that this wasn't his fault. Walking out into the deserted room, he took down the bag himself, stacking it away. The life of the apartment had seemed completely lifeless as if he was literally living with the dead than with the living now as it were. Placing the bag against one of the walls, a scent seemed to reach his nostrils, one that seemed almost unrecognisable to him, yet his senses spun, aching at the tiniest evidence of familiarity. The blood beneath his skin boiled. He had to get out of the apartment, possibly leaving Daisuke to rest on his own. Something had been bothering the vampire for a while now.

The night seemed alive with the taste of human essence yet Riku wasn't hungry. Unlike the time where she had starved herself almost to death, crying at the image she had created for herself. A pair of wings graced the silhouette against the light of the moon, a haunting gargoyle to the people below. Riku couldn't blame the vampire that she called her lover for her change, nor could she blame the vampire whose sanity had completely diminished from his own senses. It seemed that the blame was placed upon the world itself, helping her realize that everything wasn't fun and games. After all, that was what her own families lives were wasn't it? Just pawns to the almighty above, yet no tears graced her face as she remembered the faces of each, all of them now slowly dissolving until they became blurs.

Riku snapped out of her thoughts as she picked up on a presence so much like her own, yet alien, a grin gracing a face she didn't know of. Blue irises met her own, seeming surprised a little by her very presence. Yet she knew who this boy was, didn't need to ask for his name. They had met only through the thoughts of Dark.

"Riku right?" She nodded, holding in what she wanted to say to him. His grin grew wider. "You survived from the attack against Krad then? However…it seems that the vampire has disappeared off the map completely." That was all he seemed to say before they were each interrupted by the slow pitter-patter of footsteps, as they seemed to make their own way towards them.

The vampire had disappeared; leaving Riku to face what was assumed to be the newcomer heading her way right now. A shot of purple seemed to gleam within the dark before the smell of cigarette smoke stung her nostrils slightly from the putrid stench of nicotine that was being seemingly infused into the vampire she recognised as he looked up, his thoughts filled with the boredom of his own existence by the mere fact of living for at least two hundred years without company until now. Maybe that is why he is smoking now? Riku thought, not really caring if the vampire picked up on it or not

"Riku?" It was a question to clarify if she was truly there or not. The smell of iron reached her nostrils replacing the smell of cigarette smoke. The smell of blood…his blood.

"Yes…Dark…" She jumped down from the roof to meet him below, watching as he flicked the cigarette against the wall before actually stepping on it. Riku noticed the stains on his one hand; a terrible thought that she was unable to suppress growing inside her. Without much consent of what he would think, she grabbed his hand quickly, noticing the deep welts within his skin. He protested, she heard him but it wasn't clear. Horror filled her thoughts. A blackness seemed to take over and she drifted into unconsciousness.


	16. Chapter 16: Realisation

In The Company of a Vampire 

**Chapter 16**

**Dark**

There was a horrible realisation in what was about to happen. There was a stake in his hand, rather long and elongated in an odd shape that existed for one purpose: to kill! There were something's in this world that were just purely surprising and others…far too horrible to talk about. Then again that was the way that the life of an undead vampire had become. Tonight they were hunting for the vampire that has been stalking them all since he fell in love with Riku. She wasn't a vampire when he fell in love with her, she was purely human, an innocent soul. And now Krad had stolen that from her. The one thing that made her seem innocent. Everything was going to plan but there was a rather disturbing backdrop in the plan, something that he had always known since he met Krad in that fateful night in the alleyway. Where had the fallen angel that saved him gone? Who was this crazy vampire that they were hunting? Master had disappeared…or rather began to become insane over the years of living.

There had been a confession before all this. A confession to Daisuke and Riku, one that they both deserved since it was all he could really give them now.

"The painting isn't a normal painting," he began, trying not to grin at the shocked expressions on their face. "Well, I should say the "paintings" since there are two of them. They are spiritually linked to both Krad and me by magic. The painter himself had specialised in the uses of witchcraft that were often woven into the pictures that he created." He took a sip out of the mug full of blood, the rather stale taste not bothering him one bit. "That night was the first night of the Equinox, the only time when magic was at its strongest. I can seemly remember what happened as if it were just a film showing in my mind. We were sat on the balcony. It was an idea of mine and I don't think Krad quite forgave me for it, especially since vampires were supposed to remain a secret. The boy was just a student or rather an apprentice and he had seen us once when we took off into the sky when moving from one location to the next, finding another place to live." Riku seemed shift almost uncomfortably in her seat as if he was dragging the story along too much. He grinned at this, moving his purple locks out of his eyes as a full curtain of purple came into view. "The thing is, both Krad's and my blood are fused into the picture." That was enough to stir in the two before him. What he left out of the explanation was that the painting also reacted to the sanity of each vampire. The reason why Krad was continuously disappearing and re-appearing was because he was continuously walking along the border between sanity and insanity.

A slight shuffling in the darkness caught his attention. Signalling to Daisuke who was standing not to far behind him, he pointed in a direction where he could hear the shuffling coming from. Daisuke nodded before they both started edging ever so slightly towards the area where the noise was coming from. Then Dark stopped as if he was frozen into place. He didn't know what it was, what was keeping him from ridding the world of the insane vampire.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He heard Daisuke ask. There was something rather shocking that came to his mind: he and Krad were tied together. That was why Krad rose from his sleep when he did. That meant that one day, he could turn insane and harm his loved ones. That wasn't what he had wanted at all.

_Daisuke, if anything bad happens, leave me…_

Daisuke 

_Daisuke, if anything bad happens, leave me…_that message had sent shivers down his spine. What did Dark mean by that? He didn't question since now wasn't really the time for it. Then again, maybe it wouldn't hurt to question but something inside him told him not to. Then he watched as golden feathers began to fall down around Dark and a horrible realisation came to him. It wasn't Riku that Krad wanted, it was Dark.

"LOOK OUT!!!" He shouted before pushing the vampire out of the way, feeling an alien body on top of him. Taking a small moment to recover, he pushed at the vampire on his back before throwing him off.

"Hunter…you side with a hunter Dark? You're pathetic!" At this, Daisuke watched as Dark shot at the other vampire, stake in hand. There was something in the action that spoke almost as if the two were joined together and not just by what they both believed in.

"Daisuke!" The shouts of Dark shook him out of his thoughts which in turn caused him to run over to the two vampires just as Krad was trying to still best Dark. This vampire wasn't going down without a fight and yet it seemed as if his actions also spoke of giving up but on what? Life? Before he knew what was happening however, the vampire took a swipe at him and he was diving backwards, hands upon the ground, flipping him right over.

And then something came to him as he dodged that attack. In order to stop Krad from ever coming back from wherever the hell he actually came from, the other blood link had to die alongside him. Which meant one thing: Dark had to die in order for everything to become right again. He was about to tell the vampire using the connection they both had but a fist had stopped him, the feeling of claws scraping against the delicate flesh that covered his face. Dark had obviously been stunned from being thrown off. He grimaced at the cruel laughter from the other vampire.

"Hunter blood," he said before taking a lick of the blood on his claws. "I've always liked the sweet taste of hunter blood." He said right before another clawed hand seemed to pull at the flesh upon the vampires face.

"Here, have a taste of yours then." Dark said in through the howls of pain, pushing them aside as if they were nothing before taking off into the night, leaving with the message.

_Daisuke…look after her…_


	17. Epilogue

**In The Company of a Vampire:**

**Epilogue**

The ocean air seemed cold, brisk against his cool skin. _Tonight I die and you shall join me, _he thought as he looked at the wretch that was still howling in his arms. This was what had to be done, to put the insane vampire to rest. It would separate the connection between them and the painting. And that was what Dark really wanted now. Not even thinking upon the subject, he closed his eyes and jumped off, taking the other vampire with him as they plummeted towards the ocean bed. The fall would kill them both, he knew that and yet couldn't help but feel regret for leaving Riku in such a manner. This was all his fault, his whole idea. The connection was just a start to many mistakes. And yet the others who were connected to him were going to be separated from each other completely. The ocean was looming into view now causing a scream to come from Krad. This was it. The end.

_So this is how I die…_And with that, the two disappeared into the ocean.

A few days after that, a finger had been placed over the cliff of where Dark had thrown himself alongside Krad to his death. This was the place where he was told to come, told to look and yet all he knew was the words that were given to him in the dying thoughts of Dark as the connection they shared was severed rather severely.

_Contrunum meslace emoinose anglofar Dark…_a rite that invoked the goddess of creation and so return people from the dead but you had to say their name otherwise nothing would happen. Since it seemed as if he was the only one that possessed the power to bring him back, Satoshi sat down on the edge of the cliff, thinking about what he should do. It was often best to leave the dead where they were but Dark hadn't long since died and so he wouldn't appear in the form of a zombie when he came back.

Standing up once more, he took a look towards the dark sky. Never before had the moon looked so beautiful. Placing his hands down by his side, he kept his eyes upon the moon as he spoke the words, not feeling an inch of regret as he walked away.

Riku hadn't been exactly feeling great since the day of the incident, where her own boyfriend had to die just to get rid of the vampire that was connected to him. A dark feather was in her hands, its life starting to slowly fade away. She had been crying ever since and now she felt dried up beyond repair, not noticing the feathers that began to fall on her until the last second where she had looked up and for a second thought she saw Dark as if he didn't die. Then she noticed the feathers. Unlike the one in her hand, these were full of life, almost…just almost as if he had come back…

_Dark…I love you…_


End file.
